Walking biomechanics of end stage knee OA and TKA patients.

Abstract

WALKING BIOMECHANICS OF END STAGE KNEE OA AND TKA PATIENTS Danielle Biton December 15,2010 Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is associated with decline in functional capacity and ultimately leads to Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) in many of these patients. Exercise regimens prior to surgery may potentially enhance pre and post TKA functional performance. However, assessment of such performance should involve biomechanical factors that characterize the mechanisms with which tasks are performed, and not just the quantity of task performed. The present overall study investigated walking biomechanics of end stage knee OA and TKA patients. Throughout the three sub-studies that comprised the overall investigation, particular emphasis was placed on heelstrike and the loading response phase of gait, in addition to functional ability parameters. The first sub-study investigated gait biomechanics and fatigue during a 6 minute walk for patients with end stage knee OA. Results demonstrated that even if patients were able to maintain their gait velocity throughout the walk, subtle but statistically significant differences at the ankle were present after the 6 minute walk. Knee OA patients may be experiencing higher loading conditions at the knee after 6 min. In order to adapt to fatigue, knee OA patients appear to adopt ankle strategies alleviating the load from a painful knee, rather than knee strategies, causing greater instability and reduced