The effect of knee orthosis on co-contraction values of knee and ankle muscles during running in people with knee deformity in the frontal plane.

Background and Aims: the use of knee orthosis changes the mechanics of running. One of the important biomechanical factors in rehabilitation and injury prevention is co-contraction of knee and ankle joints. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of knee orthosis on changes in the contraction of knee and ankle muscles during running in people with genu varum. Materials and Methods: This semi-experimental study was conducted with the participation of fifteen healthy men and 15 patients with genu varum in Ardabil city (Iran). Subjects were given new knee braces and asked to wear them for 2 months. The test steps were done before and after the intervention. This test included electromyography data of selected muscles of the lower limbs, through which the contraction of the knee and ankle muscles in the right leg while running at a constant running speed was recorded. Results: The results of the present study showed that the interactive effect of group and time on the general contraction of the knee joint during the pushing phase (P=0.007) and the ankle joint during the support phase (P=0.025) have statistically significant differences. Conclusion: The findings showed that the knee brace affects the general contraction of the knee and ankle joints in patients with genu varum.