The Effects of Various Kinds of Lateral Wedge Insoles on Performance of Individuals with Knee Joint Osteoarthritis

Background: knee joint osteoarthritis (oa) is one of themost incapacitating diseases affecting older population, which isassociated with pain and functional limitation. various kinds ofconservative treatment have been used to decrease knee pain andto improve the quality of life of the subjects suffering from thisdisease. there are discrepancies in the clinical effects reported forthe use of lateral wedge insole in spite of being used as one of thefirst conservative mechanical treatments for patients with medialcompartments of knee oa.methods: a total of 36 subjects with medial knee compartment oawere recruited in this research project. subjects were randomizedinto two groups to receive 3- and 7-mm lateral wedge insoles basedon the date of birth of the participants. some parameters such asseverity of knee pain, tibiofemoral angle (tfa), severity of oa,and quality of life were selected in this research project.results: the use of both 3-mm and 7-mm lateral wedge insoleimproves the quality of life and decreases knee joint pain. however,the effect of 7 mm lateral wedge insole was more than that of3 mm.conclusion: using lateral wedge insole is a simple, inexpensivetherapy for decreasing pain and improving quality of life; however,most research must be carried out to find the effects of lateralwedge on severity of knee joint oa and aligning tfa.