The effect of cane use on hip contact force

Canes may be used to reduce hip pain by reducing the joint contact force. Previous estimates suggest that this force could be reduced to 17-26% of normal. We have calculated 3-dimensional hip contact forces during gait in 4 groups: normals, preoperative hip patients walking without a cane, preoperative hip patients walking with a cane, and patients postoperative total hip reconstruction. Preoperative patients walking with a cane exhibited hip contact forces of about 60% normal force (from age-matched and velocity-matched normals). Preoperative patients walking without a cane and postoperative patients had hip contact forces which were not significantly different from age-matched and velocity-matched normals. Considering that patients probably rarely place more than 20% of their body weight on a cane, it is likely the hip contact force will rarely be reduced below 60% of body weight with use of a cane.