title: The effect of cane use on hip contact force.
abstract: Canes may be used to reduce hip pain by reducing the joint contact force. Previous estimates suggest that this force could be reduced to 17-26% of normal. We have calculated 3-dimensional hip contact forces during gait in 4 groups: normals, preoperative hip patients walking without a cane, preoperative hip patients walking with a cane, and patients postoperative total hip reconstruction. Preoperative patients walking with a cane exhibited hip contact forces of about 60% normal force (from age-matched and velocity-matched normals). Preoperative patients walking without a cane and postoperative patients had hip contact forces which were not significantly different from age-matched and velocity-matched normals. Considering that patients probably rarely place more than 20% of their body weight on a cane, it is likely the hip contact force will rarely be reduced below 60% of body weight with use of a cane.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002183:Canes; D005684:Gait; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006622:Hip Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D009983:Orthopedic Equipment; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000503:physiopathology; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011300:Preoperative Care