Effects of a corrective heel lift with an orthopaedic walking boot on joint mechanics and symmetry during gait.
A Cecilia Severin, R Pearson Gean, Sally G Barnes and 5 others
PMID 31376749WHAT IT FOUND
Walking boots slowed gait and changed hip and knee mechanics.
A contralateral heel lift helped some movements but did not restore normal walking. It also increased knee varus moments, which may be risky for patients with knee pathology.
Key findings
01The walking boot significantly reduced self-selected walking speed compared to normal shoes and the heel lift condition.
02The corrective heel lift reduced some altered hip moments but did not restore knee moments or fully return gait mechanics to normal.
03The heel lift increased the knee varus moment compared to the boot alone, a finding clinicians should note for patients with knee issues.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Participants were healthy males with no history of lower extremity injury, so results may not apply to patients with pathology. The boot was worn only for the testing session, not for a prolonged period, so habitual adaptation effects were not captured. Only three gait trials were analyzed, which may not reflect continuous walking patterns. Symmetry index results were not statistically significant due to high variability. The study did not include female participants, limiting generalizability.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest. The study was supported by N.I.H. Extramural funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a heel lift fully restores normal gait mechanics or symmetry. It improved some hip variables but increased knee varus moments and did not restore knee kinetics, which may pose risks for patients with existing knee pathology.