Biomechanical Effect of Valgus Knee Braces on the Treatment of Medial Gonarthrosis: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND: Valgus braces are prescribed as a common conservative treatment option for patients with medial gonarthrosis to improve their quality of life. Many studies had reviewed the effects of the valgus braces on patients with medial gonarthrosis, while they mainly focused on the knee adduction moment (KAM), with less attention paid to other parameters such as spatiotemporal and morphological parameters. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to review the effects of valgus braces on the spatiotemporal, kinematic/kinetic, morphological, and muscle parameters. METHODS: Based on the selected keywords, a survey of literatures was performed in Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar using the PRISMA methods, and the search period was established from January 2000 to March 2022. RESULTS: Thirty-four articles were included. According to the conclusion of these articles, the valgus brace can be used to relieve the symptoms of patients with medial gonarthrosis by decreasing the varus angle, decreasing the KAM, and redistributing the knee compartment loads. However, the effects of valgus braces on other biomechanical parameters (e.g., walking speed, cadence, joint angle, and joint space) had not reached a consensus. CONCLUSIONS: The valgus knee brace can effectively relieve the symptoms of medial gonarthrosis through multiple mechanisms, while there is still some confusion about the effectiveness of the valgus brace on the other biomechanical parameters.