The Effect of Laterally Wedged Insoles on Standing Balance of Patients with Osteoarthritis in the Medial Compartment of Knees

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of laterally wedged insole on static balance of patients with degenerative osteoarthritic knees. METHOD: Eighteen female patients were diagnosed with medial compartment knee degenerative osteoarthritis (OA) based on symptoms and simple X-rays. Patients were studied while they stood wearing shoes with the 5 degrees or 10 degrees lateral wedged insoles compared with a bare foot. Patients chose a comfortable stance with feet spread apart, slightly turned outwards, and were asked to look straight ahead at a fixed point in a quiet room. Postural sway and weight load asymmetry were recorded while the patients were standing on two adjacent force platforms during a 30 second trial. RESULTS: Postural sway and weight load asymmetry for 30 seconds were not significantly changed by wearing laterally wedged insoles with varying elevations (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The degree of the postural sway and weight load asymmetry for 30 seconds with the insole were not affected by the tilt of the lateral wedge.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in a Girl with Turner Syndrome: A case report

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked, recessive disorder characterized by progressive muscular weakness, Gower sign, waddling gait and pseudohypertrophy of the calf muscles. Little is reported about DMD manifestations in females because of its' X-linked, recessive inheritance. The authors described a 12-year-old female with gait disturbance. Her symptoms were diminished muscle power, decreased deep tendon reflexes, Gower sign and pseudohypertrophy of calf muscle. Serum creatinine kinase level was elevated to 1, 674 U/ml. Electromyographic findings were compatible with myopathy. Histopathologic examination of the muscles confirmed the diagnosis of DMD. The result of karyotyping was 45X, but multiplex PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) analysis showed normal findings.