In vivo hip pressures during cane and load-carrying gait.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypotheses that carrying a load reduces hip contact pressure ipsilateral to the load and that using a cane when carrying a load further reduces hip contact pressure.


METHODS
A Moore-type endoprosthesis with 13 femoral-head pressure transducers was implanted in a human subject following a Garden III fracture. Hip contact pressures were measured during unaided, cane-aided, and load-carrying gait over two years.


RESULTS
Relative to unloaded gait, contact pressures increased significantly when ipsilateral to the carried load. Using a contralateral cane when carrying the load reduced ipsilateral posterior-superior contact pressure; however, the hip contralateral to the load experienced significantly higher than normal pressures.


CONCLUSIONS
Ipsilaterally carried loads may not always provide stress protection of the arthritic hip. Using a cane opposite to the load may aid in restoring normal pressures to the ipsilateral hip, but may expose the contralateral hip to a significant stress burden.
McGibbon
C A
CA
Department of Orthopaedics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, USA.
Krebs
D E
DE
Mann
R W
RW
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002183:Canes; D005265:Femoral Neck Fractures / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D006622:Hip Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011312:Pressure; D016474:Weight-Bearing