title: Gait alterations to effectively reduce hip contact forces.
abstract: Patients with hip pathology present alterations in gait which have an effect on joint moments and loading. In knee osteoarthritic patients, the relation between medial knee contact forces and the knee adduction moment are currently being exploited to define gait retraining strategies to effectively reduce pain and disease progression. However, the relation between hip contact forces and joint moments has not been clearly established. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of changes in hip and pelvis kinematics during gait on internal hip moments and contact forces which is calculated using muscle driven simulations. The results showed that frontal plane kinetics have the largest effect on hip contact forces. Given the high correlation between the change in hip adduction moment and contact force at initial stance (R(2)  = 0.87), this parameter can be used to alter kinematics and predict changes in contact force. At terminal stance the hip adduction and flexion moment can be used to predict changes in contact force (R(2)  = 0.76). Therefore, gait training that focuses on decreasing hip adduction moments, a wide base gait pattern, has the largest potential to reduce hip contact forces.
authors: Department of Kinesiology, KU Leuven, Human Movement Biomechanics, Heverlee, Belgium.
authors: Mariska
authors: M
authors: Wesseling
authors: Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Division PMA, Heverlee, Belgium.
authors: Friedl
authors: F
authors: de Groote
authors: Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors: Christophe
authors: C
authors: Meyer
authors: Department of Orthopaedic, Hip Unit, Ziekenhuis Oost-limburg, Genk, Belgium.
authors: Kristoff
authors: K
authors: Corten
authors: Department of Orthopedic, UZ Pellenberg, University Hospitals Leuven, Pellenberg, Belgium.
authors: Jean-Pierre
authors: JP
authors: Simon
authors: Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors: Kaat
authors: K
authors: Desloovere
authors: Department of Kinesiology, KU Leuven, Human Movement Biomechanics, Heverlee, Belgium.
authors: Ilse
authors: I
authors: Jonkers
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological
keywords: gait retraining; hip contact force; hip moments