Keeping the knee in perfect harmony

37 therapy centers from nine countries took part in Bauerfeind’s non-interventional study on the use of supports and orthoses to treat sports injuries. The first figures are now in for the GenuTrain P3 knee support and its treatment of patella problems.

As announced at the Second International Sports Conference in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 (see Bauerfeind life 3/2016), the detailed analysis of the major international observational study on the use of Bauerfeind supports and orthoses following sports injuries is gradually taking shape. Overall , there are 1,651 patient cases to evaluate from the study, which focused on both conservative and postoperative treatment regimens. The non-interventional study, which ran from July 2015 to March 2016, was initiated in response to the well-known fact that more and more people are taking up exercise worldwide and, alongside all the positive effects, are also experiencing negative consequences as a result. The number of injuries is continuing to rise year on year. This alone was reason enough to examine the role played by the globally widespread treatment methods of supports and orthoses in helping patients recover from sports accidents and strain-related conditions. The objective was to identify treatment options that can be used worldwide to safely restore patients’ (full) capacity to withstand the strain put on their bodies in everyday life.

GenuTrain P3 keeps the patella in line

Given that the knee and ankle are especially susceptible to injury, it is no coincidence that 167 patients were treated with the GenuTrain P3 knee support during the study. While 93 of these complained of patella joint pain, other indications for the treatment included joint instability and joint inflammation. GenuTrain P3 is an ideal treatment option for patients with stability problems and painful knees caused by damaged kneecaps. It centers the kneecap and ensures that it moves in a physiologically correct path. The figures collected for GenuTrain P3 – the first treatment to be evaluated during the analysis of the study results – unequivocally confirm its effect: At the end of their course of treatment , 89.8 percent of patients evaluated the stability they felt when wearing the support as either good or very good (see Fig. 1 “Stability provided by the support”). 61.8 percent of patients felt that the support already provided good to very good pain relief early on during the course of treatment. By a later stage, this figure had even risen to 80 percent (see Fig. 2 “Pain relief provided by the support”). Pain relief also went hand in hand with a reduction in painkiller use. While 53.1 percent of patients took painkillers immediately after suffering their injury, this figure dropped to 20.8 percent while wearing GenuTrain P3.

Pressure relief for the kneecap

GenuTrain P3 targets and prevents muscle imbalance which can lateralize the kneecap. The proximal extension of the patella pad actively stimulates parts of the teardrop muscle (vastus medialis), while a further pad on the outer thigh reduces tension in the fasciae of the iliotibial tract. By covering the medial side of the kneecap, the patella pad also counteracts the tilting of the patella. Two friction points on the lower section of the patella pad stimulate the infrapatellar fat pad (Hoffa’s fat pad), reducing pain in the retropatellar area. The corrective strap, which can be adjusted to the patient’s requirements using the Velcro fastenings, can further pull the patella in a medial direction. These complex mechanisms mean that GenuTrain P3 has a balancing effect on the knee.

Improved mobility

For many patients, the key reason for wearing an aid following an injury is the desire to regain full mobility in their everyday lives. As shown by the study results, GenuTrain P3 improved mobility considerably in the patients’ day-to-day lives. When commencing treatment , many patients stated that they largely felt limited (40.5 percent) or very limited (24.7 percent) when going about their everyday lives. However, the support was able to completely restore mobility in around half of patients. During treatment , 52.5 percent reported that they felt pain during their everyday lives and only 27.5 percent stated that they felt no pain on a day-to-day basis. By the end of treatment , the tide had been turned, with 53.2 percent of patients no longer feeling any pain (see Fig. 3 “Assessment of mobility”).

Return to pre-injury condition

The open design of Bauerfeind’s non-interventional study enabled a large number of male and female patients of different ages and from different ethnic groups and cultures to be included in the research, allowing the investigation to gain a snapshot of international medical practice. One of the main conclusions drawn from the data collected for GenuTrain P3 was that the support can help patients to return to their pre-injury condition. It has been proven to be successful in treating patients with stability problems and painful knees caused by damaged kneecaps. This means that it is a worthwhile aid for both rehabilitation and prevention – during exercise and everyday life.

Images: Bauerfeind