title: Clinical Evaluation and Gait Characteristics before and after Total Knee Arthroplasty Based on a Portable Gait Analyzer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of surgery and rehabilitation on patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve patients and 12 healthy controls were enrolled and their clinical scores evaluated by a doctor. Gait data, including walking velocity, stride length, single support time, foot fall and swing power, were collected using a portable gait analyzer from 12 patients before and 6 weeks and 6 months after surgery and from 12 healthy controls. The gait data and clinical scores at selected time points were compared and correlations between gait characteristics and clinical scores assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinical knee and knee function scores increased significantly from before surgery to 6 weeks to 6 months after surgery (P < 0.001). The only significant differences identified were for single support time on the diseased side between before surgery and 6 months after surgery (P = 0.031) and for foot fall with the diseased side between 6 weeks and 6 months after surgery (P = 0.016). Foot fall and speed of the healthy or diseased sides were significantly different in patients at all time points from those of the healthy subjects (P < 0.05). Single support time on the diseased side was significantly different 6 months after surgery (P = 0.035) in patients than in healthy controls. Single support time on the healthy side before surgery was significantly different from that of healthy controls (P = 0.048) and 6 weeks after surgery (P = 0.042). Stride lengths differed significantly between patients and healthy subjects before surgery (healthy side: P = 0.007; diseased side: P = 0.008) and 6 weeks after surgery (healthy side: P = 0.001; diseased side: P = 0.001), but were not different at 6 months after surgery (healthy side: P = 0.088; diseased side: P = 0.077). The only significant correlations identified were between single support time with the diseased side of patients and their knee (r = 0.43, P = 0.032) and knee function scores (r = 0.493, P = 0.012).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A portable gait analyzer appears to be suitable for evaluating the effects of TKA. Single support time on the diseased side may be a sensitive quantitative index for determining the effect of TKA and rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hao-Hua
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.|Beijing Key Laboratory of Fundamental Research on Biomechanics in Clinical Application, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Song-Hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xin-Yuan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. yansh74@ccmu.edu.cn, kzhang@ccmu.edu.cn.|Beijing Key Laboratory of Fundamental Research on Biomechanics in Clinical Application, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. yansh74@ccmu.edu.cn, kzhang@ccmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Kuan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D000368:Aged; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care
keywords: Clinical scores; Gait; Rehabilitation; Total knee arthroplasty