Publicação
The Impact of Knee Braces on Plantar Pressure Distribution in Elderly Individuals: Implications for Fall Risk Prevention
| Resumo: | Falls are a major public health concern in older adults, largely due to age-related declines in proprioception and postural control. Although knee braces are commonly prescribed to enhance joint stability and sensory feedback, their effects on plantar pressure distribution remain unclear; Thirteen community-dwelling older adults (mean age: 79.6 ± 3.2 years) participated in a repeated-measures study under three conditions: no brace, knee brace A, and knee brace B. Plantar pressure variables were assessed barefoot during quiet standing using a baropodometric platform. Conditions were compared using non-parametric Friedman tests; Significant differences were observed for left foot total surface area (p = 0.041) and left rearfoot surface area (p = 0.020). Compared with no brace, brace A increased plantar contact area, whereas brace B reduced it. No significant differences were found for pressure magnitude, load distribution, or right foot variables; Knee braces induce subtle, brace-specific and lateralized changes in plantar pressure distribution, potentially reflecting altered postural control strategies. Although limited to specific variables, these effects may be clinically relevant for fall risk assessment and individualized knee brace prescription in older adults. |
|---|---|
| Autores principais: | Lumini, José |
| Outros Autores: | Ribeiro, Andrea; Schneider, André; Monteiro, António M.; Sousa, João |
| Assunto: | Baropodometry Elderly Fall risk Knee brace Plantar pressure Proprioception |
| Ano: | 2026 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | artigo |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Instituto Politécnico de Bragança |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Biblioteca Digital do IPB |
| _version_ | 1867173417070886912 |
|---|---|
| author | Lumini, José |
| author2 | Ribeiro, Andrea Schneider, André Monteiro, António M. Sousa, João |
| author2_role | author author author author |
| author_facet | Lumini, José Ribeiro, Andrea Schneider, André Monteiro, António M. Sousa, João |
| author_role | author |
| contributor_name_str_mv | Biblioteca Digital do IPB |
| country_str | PT |
| creators_json_txt | [{\"Person.name\":\"Lumini, José\"},{\"Person.name\":\"Ribeiro, Andrea\"},{\"Person.name\":\"Schneider, André\",\"Person.identifier.orcid\":\"0009-0003-4856-9706\"},{\"Person.name\":\"Monteiro, António M.\",\"Person.identifier.orcid\":\"0000-0003-4467-1722\"},{\"Person.name\":\"Sousa, João\"}] |
| datacite.contributors.contributor.contributorName.fl_str_mv | Biblioteca Digital do IPB |
| datacite.creators.creator.creatorName.fl_str_mv | Lumini, José Ribeiro, Andrea Schneider, André Monteiro, António M. Sousa, João |
| datacite.date.Accepted.fl_str_mv | 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z |
| datacite.date.available.fl_str_mv | 2026-03-20T10:51:25Z |
| datacite.date.embargoed.fl_str_mv | 2026-03-20T10:51:25Z |
| datacite.rights.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 |
| datacite.subjects.subject.fl_str_mv | Baropodometry Elderly Fall risk Knee brace Plantar pressure Proprioception |
| datacite.titles.title.fl_str_mv | The Impact of Knee Braces on Plantar Pressure Distribution in Elderly Individuals: Implications for Fall Risk Prevention |
| dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv | Biblioteca Digital do IPB |
| dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv | Lumini, José Ribeiro, Andrea Schneider, André Monteiro, António M. Sousa, João |
| dc.date.Accepted.fl_str_mv | 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z |
| dc.date.available.fl_str_mv | 2026-03-20T10:51:25Z |
| dc.date.embargoed.fl_str_mv | 2026-03-20T10:51:25Z |
| dc.format.none.fl_str_mv | application/pdf |
| dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv | http://hdl.handle.net/10198/36158 |
| dc.language.none.fl_str_mv | eng |
| dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv | MDPI |
| dc.rights.cclincense.fl_str_mv | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
| dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 |
| dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv | Baropodometry Elderly Fall risk Knee brace Plantar pressure Proprioception |
| dc.title.fl_str_mv | The Impact of Knee Braces on Plantar Pressure Distribution in Elderly Individuals: Implications for Fall Risk Prevention |
| dc.type.none.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501 |
| description | Falls are a major public health concern in older adults, largely due to age-related declines in proprioception and postural control. Although knee braces are commonly prescribed to enhance joint stability and sensory feedback, their effects on plantar pressure distribution remain unclear; Thirteen community-dwelling older adults (mean age: 79.6 ± 3.2 years) participated in a repeated-measures study under three conditions: no brace, knee brace A, and knee brace B. Plantar pressure variables were assessed barefoot during quiet standing using a baropodometric platform. Conditions were compared using non-parametric Friedman tests; Significant differences were observed for left foot total surface area (p = 0.041) and left rearfoot surface area (p = 0.020). Compared with no brace, brace A increased plantar contact area, whereas brace B reduced it. No significant differences were found for pressure magnitude, load distribution, or right foot variables; Knee braces induce subtle, brace-specific and lateralized changes in plantar pressure distribution, potentially reflecting altered postural control strategies. Although limited to specific variables, these effects may be clinically relevant for fall risk assessment and individualized knee brace prescription in older adults. |
| dirty | 0 |
| eu_rights_str_mv | openAccess |
| format | article |
| fulltext.url.fl_str_mv | https://bibliotecadigital.ipb.pt/bitstreams/84ed093d-c4d7-4c02-b7b8-e885c23620b2/download |
| id | ipb_b3f2d4ac8ff6a97f120a8b1fda11cf4c |
| identifier.url.fl_str_mv | http://hdl.handle.net/10198/36158 |
| instacron_str | ipb |
| institution | Instituto Politécnico de Bragança |
| instname_str | Instituto Politécnico de Bragança |
| language | eng |
| network_acronym_str | ipb |
| network_name_str | Biblioteca Digital do IPB |
| oai_identifier_str | oai:bibliotecadigital.ipb.pt:10198/36158 |
| organization_str_mv | urn:organizationAcronym:ipb |
| person_str_mv | Lumini, José Ribeiro, Andrea Schneider, André Schneider, André https://www.ciencia-id.pt/6618-FA6F-C0E4 6618-FA6F-C0E4 http://orcid.org/0009-0003-4856-9706 0009-0003-4856-9706 Monteiro, António M. Monteiro, António M. https://www.ciencia-id.pt/C41C-6CCD-A1F0 C41C-6CCD-A1F0 http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4467-1722 0000-0003-4467-1722 Sousa, João |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publisher.none.fl_str_mv | MDPI |
| reponame_str | Biblioteca Digital do IPB |
| repository_id_str | urn:repositoryAcronym:ipb |
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| spelling | engMDPIengFalls are a major public health concern in older adults, largely due to age-related declines in proprioception and postural control. Although knee braces are commonly prescribed to enhance joint stability and sensory feedback, their effects on plantar pressure distribution remain unclear; Thirteen community-dwelling older adults (mean age: 79.6 ± 3.2 years) participated in a repeated-measures study under three conditions: no brace, knee brace A, and knee brace B. Plantar pressure variables were assessed barefoot during quiet standing using a baropodometric platform. Conditions were compared using non-parametric Friedman tests; Significant differences were observed for left foot total surface area (p = 0.041) and left rearfoot surface area (p = 0.020). Compared with no brace, brace A increased plantar contact area, whereas brace B reduced it. No significant differences were found for pressure magnitude, load distribution, or right foot variables; Knee braces induce subtle, brace-specific and lateralized changes in plantar pressure distribution, potentially reflecting altered postural control strategies. Although limited to specific variables, these effects may be clinically relevant for fall risk assessment and individualized knee brace prescription in older adults.application/pdfengThe Impact of Knee Braces on Plantar Pressure Distribution in Elderly Individuals: Implications for Fall Risk PreventionLumini, JoséRibeiro, AndreaPersonalSchneider, AndréDSpacehttp://dspace.org/items/c9236fff-6d05-4f70-9cc8-2776a7f724d4DSpacehttp://dspace.org/items/c9236fff-6d05-4f70-9cc8-2776a7f724d4SchneiderAndréCiência IDhttps://www.ciencia-id.pt6618-FA6F-C0E4ORCIDhttp://orcid.org0009-0003-4856-9706PersonalMonteiro, António M.DSpacehttp://dspace.org/items/5b5d8601-e683-42d5-a1b5-c8e29a4e0a41DSpacehttp://dspace.org/items/5b5d8601-e683-42d5-a1b5-c8e29a4e0a41MonteiroAntónio M.Ciência IDhttps://www.ciencia-id.ptC41C-6CCD-A1F0ORCIDhttp://orcid.org0000-0003-4467-1722Sousa, JoãoHostingInstitutionOrganizationalBiblioteca Digital do IPBe-mailmailto:dspace@ipb.ptdspace@ipb.ptISSNIsPartOf2075-4663DOIIsPartOf10.3390/sports140200782026-03-20T10:51:25Z20262026-01-01T00:00:00ZHandlehttp://hdl.handle.net/10198/36158http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2open accessBaropodometryElderlyFall riskKnee bracePlantar pressureProprioception250922 bytesliteraturehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501journal article2026http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2application/pdffulltexthttps://bibliotecadigital.ipb.pt/bitstreams/84ed093d-c4d7-4c02-b7b8-e885c23620b2/downloadSports142110 |
| spellingShingle | The Impact of Knee Braces on Plantar Pressure Distribution in Elderly Individuals: Implications for Fall Risk Prevention Lumini, José Baropodometry Elderly Fall risk Knee brace Plantar pressure Proprioception |
| status | SINGLETON |
| subject.fl_str_mv | Baropodometry Elderly Fall risk Knee brace Plantar pressure Proprioception |
| title | The Impact of Knee Braces on Plantar Pressure Distribution in Elderly Individuals: Implications for Fall Risk Prevention |
| title_full | The Impact of Knee Braces on Plantar Pressure Distribution in Elderly Individuals: Implications for Fall Risk Prevention |
| title_fullStr | The Impact of Knee Braces on Plantar Pressure Distribution in Elderly Individuals: Implications for Fall Risk Prevention |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Impact of Knee Braces on Plantar Pressure Distribution in Elderly Individuals: Implications for Fall Risk Prevention |
| title_short | The Impact of Knee Braces on Plantar Pressure Distribution in Elderly Individuals: Implications for Fall Risk Prevention |
| title_sort | The Impact of Knee Braces on Plantar Pressure Distribution in Elderly Individuals: Implications for Fall Risk Prevention |
| topic | Baropodometry Elderly Fall risk Knee brace Plantar pressure Proprioception |
| topic_facet | Baropodometry Elderly Fall risk Knee brace Plantar pressure Proprioception |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10198/36158 |
| visible | 1 |