title: Knee biomechanics early after knee replacement surgery predict abnormal gait patterns 12 months postoperatively.
abstract: An abnormal flexor moment pattern is often evident following total knee replacement (TKR) surgery. We investigated whether such a pattern at 12 months post-surgery could be predicted using biomechanical gait measures assessed before surgery and at 4 months post-surgery. Thirty two TKR patients were evaluated and classified as normal (biphasic pattern) or abnormal (flexor moment pattern) at each time point. Biomechanical parameters collected before surgery and at 4 months post-surgery were then explored for their ability to predict gait patterns at 12 months post-surgery. The gait pattern at 4 months was significantly associated with the 12 month post-surgery gait pattern, with over half of those with a flexor moment pattern at 4 months retaining this pattern at 12 months. Discriminant function analysis indicated that peak knee flexion during early stance, peak knee extension, and peak knee extension moment at 4 months post-surgery were independent predictors of the gait pattern at 12 months. Thus, an abnormal knee flexor moment pattern at 12 months post-surgery can be predicted by biomechanical analysis 4 months after surgery. Therefore, interventions aimed at improving active extension may need to be implemented early after surgery to restore a normal gait pattern.
authors: Musculoskeletal Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia. p.levinger@latrobe.edu.au
authors: Pazit
authors: P
authors: Levinger
authors: Hylton B
authors: HB
authors: Menz
authors: Adam D
authors: AD
authors: Morrow
authors: Margaret A
authors: MA
authors: Perrott
authors: John R
authors: JR
authors: Bartlett
authors: Julian A
authors: JA
authors: Feller
authors: Neil B
authors: NB
authors: Bergman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*