Subjects sought for osteoarthritis study

1:25 p.m., April 28, 2004--Two University of Delaware researchers are seeking area residents to participate in a study evaluating the effectiveness of orthotic devices in treating the pain resulting from knee osteoarthritis.

Todd Royer, assistant professor of health, nutrition and exercise sciences in the College of Health and Nursing Sciences, and Irene Davis, associate professor of physical therapy in the College of Arts and Sciences, are conducting the study.

They are seeking research subjects ages 40-75 who have osteoarthritis of the knee to measure the effectiveness of the orthotic shoe inserts.

A degenerative joint disease affecting mostly middle-aged and older persons, osteoarthritis is characterized by the breakdown of cartilage in the hands, knees, hips, back and feet. Cartilage is the part of the joint that cushions the ends of bones, and its breakdown results in bones rubbing against each other, causing pain and loss of mobility.

The project focuses on mobile individuals, as in-shoe orthotic devices can benefit only those who are ambulatory. During the first of three 90-minute sessions, participants will be asked to complete a six-minute walk and to go up and down stairs, and then will be fitted with a new pair of walking shoes and an in-shoe orthotic device.

Roughly two weeks after the first test, participants will return to the laboratory for a motion analysis test and a repeat of the functional assessment test. Activities during the second session include traversing a 25-meter walkway at a comfortable pace while wearing sensors that allow the subjects' movements to be recorded by video cameras in the lab.

Over a one-year period, participants will wear the supplied walking shoes with the inserts. Researchers will periodically phone them to check on their use of the insert, how comfortable it is and whether their use of pain medication has changed. At the end of the year, participants will return to the lab for a repeat of the tests performed during the second session.

Patients typically report a decrease in knee pain with orthotic use but previous studies do not explain why pain is reduced, Davis said. To try to answer the question, the researchers use gait analysis to test the torque (force) and motion of the knee, which gives researchers an indication about the loading of the knee joint.

One of the goals of the research is to enable participants to postpone or prevent the need for knee surgery, they said.

For information on participating in the study, contact Lynn McDowell at 831-8521.

Article by Neil Thomas

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