Individuals’ Experienced Osteoarthritis-associated Pain & Function while using a Knee Brace : A Qualitative Study

• Main Authors: Engholm, Johanna, Mahi, Ouzair Youssef Abdel-Illah
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Hälsohögskolan, Jönköping University, HHJ, Avd. för rehabilitering 2019
• Subjects: osteoarthritis of the knee; knee brace; orthoses; pain relief; function; Other Health Sciences; Annan hälsovetenskap
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-50109

Background: Osteoarthritis of the knee is a condition that can emerge without any known reason, though most commonly it is caused by previous damage to the anatomical structures inside the joint. The most common symptom is pain during rest and activity. Individuals diagnosed with osteoarthritis often experience difficulties with performing certain types of movements and activities due to pain. Aim: Based upon a qualitative inductive content analysis, the aim is to investigate on a subjective level how individuals diagnosed with medial osteoarthritis experience pain and function, in relation to brace usage. Method: This study is based on recorded semi structured open-ended interviews with three individuals diagnosed with medial osteoarthritis whom uses a knee brace or knee orthosis. Results: The study generated six sub-categories which created two main categories describing the experience of medial osteoarthritis by the individuals. The results showed experience of affected physical ability and adaptation to pain. Conclusion: Individuals diagnosed with medial osteoarthritis experience limitation in activity and ADL mostly due to pain, though decreased function of the knee joint seems to be a contributing factor to limitation as well. Using a knee brace eases pain to some degree and enable individuals to perform some activities in comparison to when not using a knee brace. These conclusions should be considered with caution since the number of individuals interviewed in this study is small and may not provide the same information as of a larger number of individuals with medial osteoarthritis.