title: Differences in Gait Characteristics of Patients with Lumbar Spinal Canal Stenosis (L4 Radiculopathy) and Those with Osteoarthritis of the Hip.
abstract: It is important to differentially diagnose thigh pain from lumbar spinal stenosis (particularly lumbar fourth nerve root radiculopathy) and osteoarthritis of the hip. In this study, using a treadmill and a motion analysis method, gait characteristics were compared between these conditions. Patients with lumbar fourth nerve root radiculopathy had increased physiological knee flexion immediately after foot-ground contact, possibly owing to a slight decrease in the muscle strength of the quadriceps femoris muscle. Patients with osteoarthritis of the hip had decreased range of motion of the hip joint probably due to anatomically limited mobility as well as gait strategy to avoid pain resulting from increased internal pressure on the hip joint during its extension. Our facile and noninvasive method can be useful for the differential diagnosis of lumbar spinal canal stenosis from osteoarthritis of the hip.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yokogawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kouseiren Takaoka Hospital, Takaoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasumitsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Toribatake
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoneyama
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuyou
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008161:Lumbosacral Region / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000503:physiopathology; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000503:physiopathology*; D052097:Quadriceps Muscle / Q000473:pathology; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016138:Walking