Immediate effect of Masai Barefoot Technology shoes on knee joint moments in women with knee osteoarthritis

•We evaluated the effect of MBT shoes on external knee moments in women with knee OA.•The knee flexion moment was significantly reduced while walking with the MBT shoes.•The knee adduction moment did not differ statistically between the MBT shoes and control shoes.•MBT shoes did not increase compensatory lateral and anterior trunk lean while walking.•MBT shoes may reduce knee loading without increasing compensatory trunk lean in women with knee OA.

Footwear modification can beneficially alter knee loading in patients with knee osteoarthritis. This study evaluated the effect of Masai Barefoot Technology shoes on reductions in external knee moments in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Three-dimensional motion analysis was used to examine the effect of Masai Barefoot Technology versus control shoes on the knee adduction and flexion moments in 17 women (mean age, 63.6 years) with radiographically confirmed knee osteoarthritis. The lateral and anterior trunk lean values, knee flexion and adduction angles, and ground reaction force were also evaluated. The influence of the original walking pattern on the changes in knee moments with Masai Barefoot Technology shoes was evaluated. The knee flexion moment in early stance was significantly reduced while walking with the Masai Barefoot Technology shoes (0.25 ± 0.14 N m/kg m) as compared with walking with control shoes (0.30 ± 0.19 N m/kg m); whereas the knee adduction moment showed no changes. Masai Barefoot Technology shoes did not increase compensatory lateral and anterior trunk lean. The degree of knee flexion moment in the original walking pattern with control shoes was correlated directly with its reduction when wearing Masai Barefoot Technology shoes by multiple linear regression analysis (adjusted R2 = 0.44, P < 0.01). Masai Barefoot Technology shoes reduced the knee flexion moment during walking without increasing the compensatory trunk lean and may therefore reduce external knee loading in women with knee osteoarthritis.