| Summary: | The effectiveness of adding plantar-surface texture to improve balance has been demonstrated in a variety of demographics. It is critical to investigate whether textured insoles can improve balance in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA), who have compromised the somatosensory function of the affected joint and, as a result, are at a higher risk of falling. Thus, this study investigated the degree of benefit from the use of textured insoles for improving balance and compared the balance of people with knee OA to healthy matched peers. This study included eighteen people with knee OA and eighteen healthy, aged, gender, height, weight, and BMI matched controls who were assessed on balance using the sensory organization test and the motor control test. Balance was improved in both groups when the textured insoles were worn, and the healthy knee group demonstrated significantly better balance performance than the knee OA group. The benefits of this study for individuals with knee OA are that it may lead to the development of an evidence-based footwear intervention that is noninvasive, simple to use, and inexpensive, in addition to allowing the user to self-manage and the ability to reduce the risk of falls, thereby improving their quality of life.
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