Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
The Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill for Knee Osteoarthritis Rehabilitation
Published on: July 22, 2019
Tricompartment Offloader Brace Reduces Knee Pain in Individuals with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Prospective Observational
Deanna P Kerekes1,2, Emily L Bishop1,3, Marcia L Clark1,4
1McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Objective:
Investigate how a tricompartment offloader (TCO) knee brace influences perceived knee pain, knee function, quality of life, physical activity, and use of medications and therapies for a population with knee osteoarthritis (KOA).
Design:
Participants (N=71) completed surveys before TCO use commenced and following 1 and 3 months of use. Surveys contained the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for knee pain, the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), the EuroQol, and questions to measure physical activity, medication use, and therapy use.
Results:
After 3 months of TCO use, knee pain (VAS) decreased by 15.3 mm for flat walking (95% CI -22.2 mm, -8.3 mm), 21.4 mm for sit to stand (95% CI -28.1 mm, -14.6 mm), 27.6 mm for stairs (95% CI -34.1 mm, -21.0 mm), and 24.6 mm for squatting (95% CI -32.0 mm, -17.1 mm). Knee function scores (KOOS) increased by 5.1 (95% CI 2.1, 8.0), 7.9 (95% CI 4.5, 11.2), and 8.2 (95% CI 3.2, 13.1) points for Pain, Activities of Daily Living, and Sports and Recreation subscales, respectively.
Conclusion:
This study presents evidence suggesting that TCO brace use within a symptomatic KOA population results in user-reported perceptions of decreased knee pain and improved knee function, supporting its potential as a conservative treatment option for KOA.