Australian researchers say that regularly using a cane while walking may help slow the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Investigators used 3-D gait analysis of 40 older OA patients and found that the use of a cane resulted in a 10 percent average decrease in knee abduction, a marker for weight placement while walking. The researchers noted that while patients tended to walk more slowly with a cane, they also showed a greater stride length and improved pelvis control, two factors that helped reduce the load on the OA-affected knee.