{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]],"date-time":"2026-02-11T14:19:35Z","timestamp":1770819575523,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]],"date-time":"2026-02-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770768000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"SINTDEI"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>(1) Background: 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; (2) Methods: Thirteen community-dwelling older adults (mean age: 79.6 \u00b1 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; (3) Results: 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; (4) Conclusions: 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.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/sports14020078","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]],"date-time":"2026-02-11T13:25:49Z","timestamp":1770816349000},"page":"78","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Impact of Knee Braces on Plantar Pressure Distribution in Elderly Individuals: Implications for Fall Risk Prevention"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1565-7075","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9","family":"Lumini","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro Interdisciplinar em Ci\u00eancias da Sa\u00fade (CICS), Instituto Superior de Sa\u00fade (ISAVE), Rua Castelo de Al-mourol n\u00ba 13, 4720-155 Amares, Portugal"},{"name":"Centro de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o em Reabilita\u00e7\u00e3o (CIR), Escola Superior de Sa\u00fade, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico do Porto, Rua Doutor Ant\u00f3nio Bernardino de Almeida 400, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Research Center in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure (CIAFEL), Faculty of Sports, University of Porto (FADEUP), 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Laboratory of Biomechanics of Porto (LABIOMEP-UP), Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9706-776X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrea","family":"Ribeiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro Interdisciplinar em Ci\u00eancias da Sa\u00fade (CICS), Instituto Superior de Sa\u00fade (ISAVE), Rua Castelo de Al-mourol n\u00ba 13, 4720-155 Amares, Portugal"},{"name":"Centro de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o em Reabilita\u00e7\u00e3o (CIR), Escola Superior de Sa\u00fade, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico do Porto, Rua Doutor Ant\u00f3nio Bernardino de Almeida 400, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Laboratory of Biomechanics of Porto (LABIOMEP-UP), Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-4856-9706","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andr\u00e9","family":"Schneider","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sports Sciences, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Bragan\u00e7a, 5300-253 Bragan\u00e7a, Portugal"},{"name":"Research Centre for Active Living and Wellbeing (Livewell), Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Bragan\u00e7a, 5300-253 Bragan\u00e7a, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences and Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), Universidad DeLe\u00f3n, 24007 Le\u00f3n, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4467-1722","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ant\u00f3nio M.","family":"Monteiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sports Sciences, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Bragan\u00e7a, 5300-253 Bragan\u00e7a, Portugal"},{"name":"Research Centre for Active Living and Wellbeing (Livewell), Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Bragan\u00e7a, 5300-253 Bragan\u00e7a, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Jo\u00e3o","family":"Sousa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro Interdisciplinar em Ci\u00eancias da Sa\u00fade (CICS), Instituto Superior de Sa\u00fade (ISAVE), Rua Castelo de Al-mourol n\u00ba 13, 4720-155 Amares, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2025, December 12). 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