Stable, Supportive Shoes No Aid for Hip Osteoarthritis

Follow Drugslib on

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com

via HealthDay

FRIDAY, Feb. 27, 2026 -- Stable, supportive shoes are not superior to flat, flexible shoes for improving hip osteoarthritis pain while walking, according to a study published online Feb. 24 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Kade L. Paterson, Ph.D., from University of Melbourne in Australia, and colleagues evaluated whether stable, supportive shoes are more effective than flat, flexible shoes for hip pain. The analysis included 116 people with hip osteoarthritis pain randomly assigned to off-the-shelf, stable, supportive shoes or flat, flexible shoes and followed for six months.

The researchers found that stable, supportive shoes did not differ from flat, flexible shoes in improving hip pain (mean difference [MD], −0.5 point; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], −1.3 to 0.2 points; P = 0.163). While few secondary outcomes differed by shoe type, flat, flexible shoes were associated with greater improvement in the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score symptom subscale (MD, 6.6 points; 95 percent CI, 1.4 to 11.7 points) and quality-of-life subscale (MD, 7.8 points; 95 percent CI, 1.1 to 14.4 points). Stable, supportive shoes showed a trend toward greater improvement in contralateral foot or ankle pain (MD, 0.8 point; 95 percent CI, 0.0 to 1.5 points). The stable, supportive shoe group experienced fewer adverse events than the flat, flexible shoe group (12 versus 31 percent; relative risk, 0.39; 95 percent CI, 0.18 to 0.86).

"Our results support clinical guidelines that make no clear recommendation about which type of footwear might benefit people with chronic pain due to hip osteoarthritis," the authors write. "In addition, our study suggests that footwear that is beneficial for knee osteoarthritis pain might not reduce hip osteoarthritis pain."

Two authors disclosed receiving a grant or contract from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2026-02-28 01:36

Read more

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Popular Keywords