Osteoarthritis is one of the major causes of immobility. Most commonly, osteoarthritis manifests at the knee joint. Prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (KNOA) increases with age. Another important risk factor for KNOA is obesity. Research has shown that obese subjects have almost four times the risk of developing KNOA, which may be explained by both an increased knee loading. In medial compartment KNOA, the knee adduction moment (KAM) during gait is considered a marker for disease severity. KAM is dependent of the magnitude of the ground reaction force and its moment arm relative to the knee joint centre. In addition, obesity has been reported to augment KAM during gait. However, after removal of the direct contributions of body weight, KAM parameters may be different due to obesity-related gait adaptations to limit knee loading. While KAM has been thoroughly investigated during gait, little is known about KAM during stair negotiation, during which knee loads are higher compared to gait. The aim of the current study is therefore to compare normalized KAM during the stance phase of stair negotiation between lean KNOA patients, obese KNOA patients, and healthy controls. This case control study included 20 lean controls, 14 lean KNOA patients, and 16 obese KNOA patients. All subjects ascended and descended a two-step staircase at a self-selected, comfortable speed. Radiographic imaging and MRI were used to evaluate knee cartilage and KNOA status. Motion analysis was performed with a three-dimensional motion capture system. Kinetic data were obtained by one force platform. The parameters of study included: stance phase duration, toe-out angle, KAM peaks and KAM impulse. During stair ascent obese KNOA patients showed a longer stance phase than healthy controls (P 0.050). Despite high between-subject variability, KAM impulse was found 45% higher in the obese KNOA group during stair descent, when compared to healthy controls (P =0.012). The absence of a significant effect of groups on the normalized KAM during stair negotiation may be explained by a lower ambulatory speed in the obese KNOA group, that effectively lowers GRFz. Decreasing ambulatory speed may be an effective strategy to lower KAM during stair negotiation.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the loading of the other joints of the lower limb in patients with unilateral osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. We recruited 20 patients with no other symptoms or deformity in the lower limbs from a consecutive cohort of patients awaiting knee replacement. Gait analysis and electromyographic recordings were performed to determine moments at both knees and hips, and contraction patterns in the medial and lateral quadriceps and hamstrings bilaterally. The speed of gait was reduced in the group with OA compared with the controls, but there were only minor differences in stance times between the limbs. Patients with OA of the knee had significant increases in adduction moment impulse at both knees and the contralateral hip (adjusted p-values: affected knee: p < 0.01, unaffected knee p = 0.048, contralateral hip p = 0.03), and significantly increased muscular co-contraction bilaterally compared with controls (all comparisons for co-contraction, p < 0.01).

The other major weight-bearing joints are at risk from abnormal biomechanics in patients with unilateral OA of the knee.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:348–53.

Aims. This study aimed to analyze kinematics and kinetics of the tibiofemoral joint in healthy subjects with valgus, neutral, and varus limb alignment throughout multiple gait activities using dynamic videofluoroscopy. Methods. Five subjects with valgus, 12 with neutral, and ten with varus limb alignment were assessed during multiple complete cycles of level walking, downhill walking, and stair descent using a combination of dynamic videofluoroscopy, ground reaction force plates, and optical motion capture. Following 2D/3D registration, tibiofemoral kinematics and kinetics were compared between the three limb alignment groups. Results. No significant differences for the rotational or translational patterns between the different limb alignment groups were found for level walking, downhill walking, or stair descent. Neutral and varus aligned subjects showed a mean centre of rotation located on the medial condyle for the loaded stance phase of all three gait activities. Valgus alignment, however, resulted in a centrally located centre of rotation for level and downhill walking, but a more medial centre of rotation during stair descent. Knee adduction/abduction moments were significantly influenced by limb alignment, with an increasing knee adduction moment from valgus through neutral to varus. Conclusion. Limb alignment was not reflected in the condylar kinematics, but did significantly affect the knee adduction moment. Variations in frontal plane limb alignment seem not to be a main modulator of condylar kinematics. The presented data provide insights into the influence of anatomical parameters on tibiofemoral kinematics and kinetics towards enhancing clinical decision-making and surgical restoration of natural knee joint motion and loading. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2024;13(9):485–496

Purpose: Medial compartment osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common primary osteoarthritis of the knee, but the treatment of this disease in young patients remains controversial. High tibial osteotomy (HTO), medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are all viable options. Gait analysis is one tool available to clinically assess knee kinematics, and may prove to be a good way of predicting functional outcomes of these different surgical procedures. The purpose of this study was to compare the knee kinematics, function, and quality of life of patients that underwent either a medial opening wedge HTO, UKA, or TKA for primary medial compartment OA. Method: A matched prospective cohort study of patients between the ages of 45 and 65 who had undergone an HTO, UKA, or TKA for primary medial compartment knee OA was undertaken over a 3-year period. Primary outcome measures were gait variables, namely knee adduction moments, as measured through gait analysis. Secondary measures included quality of life (WOMAC), functional performance tests (six minute walk and timed-up-and-go), self-reported functional ability (LEFS), and general health (SF-36). Gait and functional performance tests were evaluated preoperatively and at 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. Self-reported quality of life, function and general health were assessed preoperatively and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months post-operatively. Results: Twenty HTOs, 19 medial UKAs, and 17 TKAs were matched for Kellgren-Lawrence grade of medial OA, age at surgery, and body mass index. Significant differences were observed between the three groups in step length and peak adduction moments at 24 months. Significant differences were observed in preoperative WOMAC pain and function scores, KOOS pain scores, and LEFS, but no significantly different outcome measures were observed postoperatively. Lateral Black-burne-Peel and modified Insall-Salvati ratios were the only significant radiographic differences observed between groups at 24 months. Conclusion: To our knowledge, no gait analysis study exists comparing the medial opening wedge HTO to UKA or TKA. The results of this study suggest that most gait variables except step length and knee adduction moments are similar between groups. Moreover, except for patellar height, there were no major functional or radiographic differences between these groups

Previous research suggests knee joint moments and muscle activity during walking are altered in patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiency and in patients with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis (OA). The objective of this study was to compare knee joint flexion and adduction moments and the extent of quadriceps-hamstring muscle co-contraction before and one year after combined simultaneous ACL reconstruction and high tibial osteotomy (HTO). Eighteen patients (three females, fifteen males; age = 40 ± 8 yrs.; BMI = 28.8 ± 5.77) with ACL deficiency and OA affecting primarily the medial compartment of the knee underwent ACL reconstruction (hamstring autograft) and medial opening wedge HTO procedures during a single operation. All patients completed pre-operative and one-year postoperative quantitative gait assessments. Three-dimensional kinetic and kinematic data were collected during self-paced walking and used to calculate the peak external flexion and adduction moments about the knee. Electromyographic (EMG) activity was collected from the hamstrings and quadriceps and used to calculate the co-contraction ratio. Peak moments and co-contraction ratios were compared pre and postoperatively using paired t-tests. The peak knee flexion moment decreased from 2.31 ± 1.14 to 1.33 ± 0.73 %BW*ht (p=0.001); mean decrease = 0.98 %BW*ht (95%CI: 0.49–1.47). The peak knee adduction moment decreased from 2.81 ± 0.62 to 1.69 ± 0.61 %BW*ht (p< 0.001); mean decrease = 1.12 %BW*ht (95% CI: 0.80–1.43). The quadriceps-hamstring co-contraction ratio decreased from 0.82 ± 0.14 to 0.72 ± 0.18 (p=0.056); mean decrease = 0.10 (95% CI: −0.003 – 0.21). The present findings suggest that combined simultaneous ACL reconstruction and HTO significantly decreases knee flexion and adduction moments during walking. Although the present findings suggest that the quadriceps-hamstring co-contraction ratio also decreases, future research with more patients is required to confidently evaluate potential changes in muscle activity. These findings are consistent with an overall reduction in dynamic knee joint load

Abstract. Introduction. Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) is a common procedure, primarily performed in active, young patients to treat knee pain and functional limitations resulting from cartilage injury. Nevertheless, the functional outcomes of ACI remain poorly understood. Thus, the aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the biomechanical outcomes of ACI. Methodology. Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched using the terms ‘Knee OR Knee joint AND Autologous chondrocyte implantation OR ACI’. Strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to screen publications by title, abstract, and full text. Study quality and bias were assessed by two reviewers. PROSPERO ID: CRD42021238768. Results. 28 articles including 35 ACI cohorts were included in this review. The average range of motion (ROM) was found to improve with clinical significance (>5˚) and statistical significance (p < 0.05) postoperatively: 133.9 ± 5.5˚ to 139.2 ± 4.9˚ (n=12). Knee strength significantly improved within the first two postoperative years, but remained poorer than control groups at final follow-up (n=17). No statistical differences were found between ACI and control groups in their ability to perform functional activities like the 6-minute walk test. However, peak external knee extension and adduction moments during gait were significantly poorer in ACI patients when compared to controls. Conclusion. Generally, functional outcomes improved with clinical and statistical significance following ACI. However, knee strengths and external knee moments during gait remain significantly poorer than healthy controls, particularly >2-years postoperatively. Thus, ACI patients likely require targeted strength training as part of their rehabilitation programme

Valgus knee unloader braces are often prescribed as treatment for knee osteoarthritis (OA). These braces are designed to redistribute the loading in the knee, thereby reducing medial contact forces. Patient response to bracing is variable; some patients experience improvements in joint loading, pain, and function, others see little to no effect. We hypothesised that patients who experienced beneficial response to the brace, measured by reductions in medial contact force, could be predicted based on static and dynamic measures. Participants completed a WOMAC questionnaire and walked overground with and without an OA Assist knee brace in a motion capture lab. Eighteen patients with medial compartment OA (8 female, 53.8±7.0 years, BMI 30.3±4.1, median Kellgren-Lawrence grade 4 (range 1–4)) were evaluated. The abduction moment applied by the brace was estimated by multiplying brace deflection by the pre-determined brace stiffness. A generic musculoskeletal model was scaled for each participant based on standing full length radiographs and anatomical markers. Inverse kinematics, inverse dynamics, residual reduction, and muscle analysis were completed in OpenSim 3.2. A static optimisation was then performed to estimate muscle forces and then tibiofemoral contact forces were calculated. Brace effectiveness was defined by the difference in the first peak of the medial contact force between braced and unbraced conditions. Principal component analysis was performed on the hip, knee, and ankle angles and moments from the unbraced walking condition to extract the principal component (PC) scores for these variables. A linear regression procedure was used to determine which variables related to brace effectiveness. Potential regressors included: hip-knee-ankle angle and medial joint space measured radiographically; KL grade; mass; WOMAC scores; unbraced walking speed; and the first two principal component scores for each of the unbraced hip, knee, and ankle joint angles and moments. KL grade, walking speed, and hip adduction moment PC1, which represented the magnitude of the first peak were all found to be correlated with change in medial contact force. The brace was more successful in reducing medial contact force in subjects with higher KL grades, faster self-selected walking speeds, and larger peak external hip adduction moments. The R2 value for the overall regression model was 0.78. The best predictor of brace effectiveness was the hip adduction moment, indicating the need to consider dynamic measures. Participants who had hip adduction moments and walking speeds similar to those of their healthy counterparts saw a greater reduction in medial contact force. Thus, those who responded to bracing had more severe OA as measured by the KL grade but had not experienced changes in their hip adduction moment due to OA. The results of this study suggest that there is potential for an objective criterion for valgus knee brace use to be established

Purpose: Hip muscle weakness may result in impaired frontal plane pelvic control during gait, leading to greater medial compartment loading, as measured by the knee adduction moment, in persons with knee osteoarthritis (OA). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of an 8-week home-based strengthening program for the hip abductor muscles on hip muscle strength and the external knee adduction moment during gait in individuals with medial knee OA compared to an asymptomatic control group. Secondary objectives were to determine if hip abductor strengthening exercises would improve physical function and knee symptoms in this sample of people with knee OA. Method: Forty participants with knee OA were age and gender-matched with an asymptomatic control group. Three-dimensional gait analysis was performed to obtain peak knee adduction moments in the first 50% of stance phase. Isokinetic concentric strength of the hip abductor muscles was measured using a Biodex Isokinetic Dynamometer. Functional performance was evaluated using the Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand test. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) provided an assessment of knee pain. Following initial testing, participants with knee OA were instructed in a home program of hip abductor strengthening exercises. All participants were re-evaluated after 8 weeks. Results: There was no significant difference in isokinetic hip abductor muscle strength between groups at baseline or at follow-up. An improvement in hip abductor strength occurred in the OA group following the intervention (p = 0.036). The OA group had higher peak knee adduction moments than the control group (p = 0.006), but there was no change in the knee adduction moment over time in either group (p > 0.05). The OA group performed the sit-to-stand test more slowly than the control group (p = 0.001). At final testing, functional performance on the sit-to-stand test had improved in the OA group compared to the control group (p = 0.021). The OA group showed a trend towards decreased knee pain (p = 0.05). Conclusion: An 8-week home program of hip abductor muscle strengthening did not reduce knee joint loading, but improved function, in a group of participants with medial knee OA

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine what differences exist in the knee flexion, rotation and adduction moments and periarticular knee muscle activation patterns between subjects with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis (OA) and those with lateral compartment knee OA. Method: Forty eight individuals with knee OA were studied. The group was divided into those with predominantly medial compartment involvement (38 subjects, age 63 ± 8 years) and those with lateral involvement (10 subjects, age 63 ± 9 years). Three-dimensional motion (Optotrak) and ground reaction force (AMTI) data were collected while the subjects walked at a self-selected velocity. The knee flexion, rotation and adduction moments, time normalized to the percentage of one gait cycle, were calculated using an inverse dynamics approach. Electromyograms (EMG) were also collected from the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, medial and lateral hamstrings, and medial and lateral gastrocnemius and normalized to maximum voluntary isometric contractions. Knee moments and waveforms for each muscle for one complete gait cycle were analyzed for group differences using principal component analysis (PCA) followed by Student’s t-tests (alpha-adj = 0.017) for the PCA scores. Results: The two groups were statistical similar in terms of age, height, weight, and walking velocity (p> 0.05). PCA analysis revealed statistically significant differences (p< 0.017) in patterns for the knee adduction moment, medial gastrocnemius, and lateral hamstrings between the two groups. Conclusion: As expected, there was a difference in the knee adduction moment between the two groups. What is novel is that the muscle activation patterns from the lateral site group are consistent with an attempt to unload that compartment. The results of this study provide evidence that biomechanical and neuromuscular differences do exist, depending on the OA site. This could have implications for developing site-specific conservative management approaches

Introduction. Patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) often tell us that they put extra load on the joints of the opposite leg as they walk. Multiple joint OA is common and has previously been related to gait changes due to hip OA (Shakoor et al 2002). The aim of this study was to determine whether patients with medial compartment knee OA have abnormal biomechanics of the unaffected knee and both hips during normal level gait. Methods. Twenty patients (11 male, 9 female), with severe medial compartment knee OA and no other joint pain were recruited. The control group comprised 20 adults without musculoskeletal pain. Patients were reviewed, x-rays were examined and WOMAC and Oxford knee scores were completed. A 12 camera Vicon (Vicon, Oxford) system was used to collect kinematic data (100Hz) on level walking and the ground reaction force was recorded using three AMTI force plates (1000Hz). Surface electrodes were placed over medial and lateral quadriceps and hamstrings bilaterally to record EMG data (1000Hz). Kinematics and kinetics were calculated using the Vicon ‘plug-in-gait’ model. A co-contraction index was calculated for the EMG signals on each side of the knee, representing the magnitude of the combined readings relative to their maximum contraction during the gait cycle. Statistical comparisons were performed using t-tests with Bonferroni's correction for two variables and ANOVA for more than two variables (SPSS v16). Results. The mean age of the patients was 69 (SD 8.8). Mean gait speed was 0.95m/s (study group) and 1.44m/s (control group). Peak adduction moments for the OA group [OA Knee; Unaffected Knee; Ipsilateral Hip; Contralateral Hip; in Nm/Kg(±95% CI)] were: 0.55(0.06); 0.47(0.06); 0.73(0.09); 0.73(0.08). Control values for peak moments were 0.64 (0.06) for the knee and 0.81(0.07) at the hip. Mid-stance adduction moments for the OA group (listed as before) were: 0.44(0.08); 0.33(0.06); 0.64(0.06); 0.61(0.08). Control values for mid-stance moments were 0.14(0.03) and 0.40(0.04). [OA group vs. Controls: p=NS for peak moments at all 4 joints; p<0.01 for mid-stance moments at all joints]. Co-contraction indices for hamstrings and quads, [OA knee medial; and lateral; unaffected knee medial; and lateral; control medial; and lateral; 0<X. Discussion. Although the affected subjects all had only single joint OA, abnormal moments were present in the hips and knees of both legs during normal level gait, despite the reduced gait speed of the OA cohort. Abnormal hamstring and quadriceps co-contraction occurs bilaterally in patient with single joint OA. Increased trunk sway is a recognised compensation in knee OA and may be the cause of the abnormal hip and contra-lateral knee loading found in this study. Further investigation is warranted and may lead to improvements in the long term outcome for these patients. Acknowledgement. The study was funded by the North Wales NHS Trust

Focal cartilage defects (FCDs) found in medial and lateral compartments of the knee are accompanied with patient-reported pain and loss of joint function. There is a deficit of evidence to explain why they occur. We hypothesise that aberrant knee joint loading may be partially responsible for FCD pathology, therefore this study aims to use 3-dimensional motion capture (MoCap) analysis methods to investigate differences in gait biomechanics of subjects with symptomatic FCDs. 11 subjects with Outerbridge grade II FCDs of the tibiofemoral joint (5 medial compartment, 6 lateral compartment) and 10 non-pathological controls underwent level-gait MoCap analysis using an infra-red camera (Qualisys) and force-plate (Bertec) passive marker system. 6-degree of freedom models were generated and used to calculate spatio-temporal measures, and frontal and sagittal plane knee, hip and ankle rotation and moment waveforms (Visual 3D). Principle component analysis (PCA) was used to score subjects based on common waveform features, and PC scores were tested for differences using Mann-Whitney tests (SPSS). No group differences were found in BMI, age or spatio-temporal measures. Medial-knee FCD subjects experienced higher (p=0.05) overall knee adduction moments (KAMs) compared to controls. Conversely, lateral-knee FCD subjects found lower (p=0.031) overall KAMs. Knee flexion and extension moments (KFMs/KEMs) were relatively reduced (p=0.013), but only in medial FCD subjects. This was accompanied by a significantly (p=0.019) higher knee flexion angle (KFA) during late-stance. KAMs have been shown to be predictive of frontal plane joint contact forces, and therefore our results may be reflective of FCD subjects overloading their respective diseased knee condyles. The differences in knee sagittal plane knee moments (KFMs/KEMs) and angles (KFA) seen in medial FCD subjects are suggestive of gait adaptations to pain. Overall these results suggest treatments of FCDs should consider offloading the respective affected condyle for better surgical outcomes

Previous studies (. Chen et al., 2003. ; . Kaufmann et al., 2001. ) have shown that persons with osteoarthritis (OA) walk more slowly with lower cadence, have lower peak ground reaction forces and load their injured limb at a lower rate than healthy age matched subjects. However, another study (. Mündermann et al., 2005. ) found that patients with severe bilateral OA loaded their knee joint at a higher rate. They also found these patients had higher knee adduction moments and lower hip adduction moments. It has been reported (. McGibbon and Krebs 2002. ) that when subjects with knee OA are required to walk at the same speed as healthy subjects they generate more power at the hip joint to help overcome reduced knee power and aid in the advancement of the leg prior to the swing phase of the gait cycle. . Myles et al. (2002). reported that patients with knee OA have reduced knee range of motion during walking. This paper presents detailed kinematic and kinetic data collected on a large group of patients with advanced knee osteoarthritis to show the differences in the gait of these patients just prior to surgery compared with age-matched control group. This study was approved by the Sun Health Institutional Review Board. Subjects volunteered to participate in the study and signed informed consent prior to testing. Subjects were excluded if the had significant diseases of the other joints of the lower extremity or a diagnosed disorder with gait disturbance. Motion data was captured using a ten-camera motion capture system (Motion Analysis Corp., Santa Rosa, CA). Three-dimensional force data was recorded using four floor embedded force platforms (AMTI Inc., Watertown, MA). Patients were asked to walk at a self selected speed along a 6.5 meter walkway. A minimum of five good foot strikes for each limb were recorded. Data were collected using EVaRT 5 software (Motion Analysis Corp., Santa Rosa, CA) and analyzed using OrthoTrak 6.2.8 (Motion Analysis Corp., Santa Rosa, CA) and MatLab software (The Mathworks Inc., Natick, MA). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 14.0 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Il) (α = 0.05). Eighty-six patients (71 ± 7 years) along with sixty-four control subjects (65± 10 years) volunteered to participate in the study. All measured temporal and spatial parameters showed significant differences between the OA patients and the control group. The OA patients were found to walk at a significantly lower velocity (p< .01) and cadence (p< .01) using a wider step width (p< .01) than the control subjects. Patients had their injured knee significantly more flexed at foot strike (p< .01) but flexed the knee significantly less during swing (p< .01) when compared to the control group. Patients had significantly higher knee flexion angles as well as hip flexion and abduction angles during stance. Knee varus angles were significantly higher for the OA patients during stance (p< .01) but not during swing when compared to the control group. Significant increases in pelvic tilt and pelvic obliquity were measured during the stance phase. Hip abduction angles during stance were significantly lower for the OA group. Patients generated significantly lower vertical ground reaction forces during stance (p< .01) while sagittal plane kinetic analysis showed significantly lower external knee flexion moments (p< .01) and knee power generation (p< .01) during this phase of the gait cycle. Analysis of frontal plane angles showed OA patients had a significantly higher maximum knee varus angle during stance as well as generating a higher external knee varus moment (p=.03) during this phase of the gait cycle. Changes in gait measured in this study support and enhance findings from previous studies. OA patients appeared to walk with a more crouched posture with higher knee and hip flexion angles through mid stance. This along with lower velocity and cadence and a larger step width would indicate a desire for more stability while walking. Patients also flexed their knees more at foot strike in an attempt to absorb the forces generated during weight acceptance. While knee flexion angles measured for the OA group were similar to the control subjects during the initial period of stance, the OA patients did not extend their knees as much during mid stance indicating a desire to reduce the angular rotation of the knee while in single support. Changes measured in frontal plane angles of the hip and pelvis may be an attempt to compensate for the different angles generated by the knee during stance. The differences in hip and knee angles measured during stance for patients and controls allowed patients to have reduced peak external knee flexion moments during initial stance but a higher knee flexion moment at mid stance. The reduction in knee angular change during stance and the reduced cadence meant power absorption during early and late stance and generation during mid stance was much lower for the OA patients than the control group. All the changes noted appear to be designed to limit the movement of the knee joint while loaded and reduce the peak loads in an effort to reduce pain at the affected joint while at the same time increase stability during gait. These data show the differences that exist between the gait patterns of patients with advanced osteoarthritis and healthy age-matched persons and highlight the changes that are necessary following knee replacement surgery and rehabilitation to return the gait of these patients to normal

A principle of Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) is to achieve a neutral standing coronal alignment of the limb (Hip Knee Ankle (HKA) angle) to reduce risks of implant loosening, reduce polyethylene wear, and optimise patella tracking. Several long-term studies have questioned this because the relationship between alignment and implant survivorship is weaker than previously reported. We hypothesize standing HKA poorly predicts implant failure because it does not predict dynamic HKA, dynamic adduction moment, and loading of the knee during gait. Therefore, the aim of our study is to assess the relationship between the standing (or static) and the dynamic (gait activity) HKAs. We performed a prospective study on a cohort of 35 patients (35 knees) who were treated with a posterior-stabilized TKA for primary osteoarthritis between November 2012 and January 2013. Three months after surgery each patient had a standardized digital full-leg coronal radiographs and was classified as neutrally aligned TKA (17 patients), varus aligned (9 patients), and valgus aligned (4 patients). Patients then performed a gait analysis for level walking and dynamic HKA and adduction moment during the stance phase of gait were measured. We found standing HKA having a moderate correlation with the peak dynamic varus (r=0.318, p=0.001) and the mean and peak adduction moments (r=0.31 and r=-0.352 respectively). In contrast we did not find a significant correlation between standing HKA and the mean dynamic coronal alignment (r=0.14, p=0.449). No significant differences were found for dynamic frontal parameters (dynamic HKA and adduction moment) between patients defined as neutrally aligned or varus aligned. In our practice, the standing HKA after TKA was of little value to predict dynamic behaviour of the limb during gait. These results may explain why standing coronal alignment after TKA may have limited influence on long term implant fixation and wear

Background. A principle of Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) is to achieve a neutral standing coronal alignment of the limb (Hip Knee Ankle (HKA) angle) to reduce risks of implant loosening, reduce polyethylene wear, and optimise patella tracking. Several long-term studies have questioned this because the relationship between alignment and implant survivorship is weaker than previously reported. We hypothesize standing HKA poorly predicts implant failure because it does not predict dynamic HKA, dynamic adduction moment, and loading of the knee during gait. Therefore, the aim of our study is to assess the relationship between the standing (or static) and the dynamic (gait activity) HKAs. Methods. We performed a prospective study on a cohort of 35 patients (35 knees) who were treated with a posterior-stabilized TKA for primary osteoarthritis between November 2012 and January 2013. Three months after surgery each patient had standardized digital full-leg coronal radiographs and was classified as neutrally aligned TKA (17 patients), varus aligned (9 patients), and valgus aligned (4 patients) (figure 1). Patients then performed a gait analysis for level walking and dynamic HKA and adduction moment during the stance phase of gait were measured. Results. We found standing HKA having a moderate correlation with the peak dynamic varus (r=0.318, p=0.001) and the mean and peak adduction moments (r=0.31 and r=−0.352 respectively). In contrast we did not find a significant correlation between standing HKA and the mean dynamic coronal alignment (r=0.14, p=0.449) (figure 2 and 3). No significant differences were found for dynamic frontal parameters (dynamic HKA and adduction moment) between patients defined as neutrally aligned or varus aligned. Conclusion. In our practice, the standing HKA after TKA was of little value to predict dynamic behaviour of the limb during gait. These results may explain why standing coronal alignment after TKA may have limited influence on long term implant fixation and wear

To study the association between hip and ankle biomechanics during gait and moderate knee osteoarthritis (OA). Gait analysis was performed on a group of forty-four patients clinically diagnosed with moderate knee OA, and on a group of sixty asymptomatic subjects. Three-dimensional net joint angles and net joint reaction moments at the hip, knee and ankle joints were calculated. Peak values were extracted from the gait waveform patterns and compared between the two subject groups with Student’s t-tests. The peak hip extension moment, the peak hip adduction moment, the peak hip internal and external rotation moments, and the peak ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion moments were all reduced in the knee osteoarthritis population compared to the asymptomatic population. Differences in knee joint loading patterns with moderate knee osteoarthritis have been previously reported, but these data suggest that changes in the mechanical environment of all lower extremity joints are associated with early stages of knee osteoarthritis. Other studies have associated reduced peak hip adduction moments with reduced likelihood of OA progression. These data provide a rationale for hip abductor muscle strengthening as a means to lower knee joint loading

Valgus unloader knee braces are a conservative treatment option for medial compartment knee osteoarthritis (OA). These braces are designed to reduce painful, and potentially injurious compressive loading on the damaged medial side of the joint through application of a frontal-plane abduction moment. While some patients experience improvements in pain, function, and joint loading, others see little to no benefit from bracing [1]. Previous biomechanical studies investigating the mechanical effectiveness of bracing have been limited in either their musculoskeletal detail [2] or incorporation of altered external joint moments and forces [3]. The first objective was to model the relative contributions of gait dynamics, muscle forces, and the external brace abduction moment to reducing medial compartment knee loads. The second objective was to determine what factors predict the effectiveness of the valgus unloading brace. Seventeen people with knee OA (8 Female age 54.4 +/− 4.2, BMI 30.00 +/− 4.0 kg/m. 2. , Kellgren-Lawrence range of 1–4 with med. = 3) and 20 healthy age-matched controls participated in this study which was approved by the institutional ethics review board. Subjects walked across a 20m walkway with and without a Donjoy OA Assist knee brace while marker trajectories, ground reaction forces, and lower limb electromyography were recorded. The external moment applied by the brace was estimated by multiplying the brace deformation by is pre-determined brace-stiffness. For each subject, a representative stride was selected for each brace condition. A generic musculokeletal model with two legs, a torso, and 96 muscles was modified to include subject-specific frontal plane alignment and medial and lateral contact locations [4]. Muscle forces, and tibiofemoral contact forces were estimated using static optimization [4]. We defined brace effectiveness as the difference in the peak medial contact force between the braced and the unbraced conditions. A stepwise regression analysis was performed to predict brace effectiveness based on: X-ray frontal plane alignment, medial joint space, KL grade, mass, WOMAC scores, unbraced walking speed, trunk, hip and knee joint angles and moments. The OA Assist brace reduced medial joint loading by approximately 0.1 to 0.2 BW or roughly 10%, during stance. This decrease was primarily due to the external brace abduction moment, and not changes in gait dynamics, or muscle forces. The brace effectiveness could be predicted (R. 2. =0.77) by the KL grade, and the magnitude of the hip adduction moment in early stance (unbraced). The brace was more effective for those that had larger hip adduction moments and for those with more severe OA. The valgus knee brace was found to reduce the medial joint contact force by approximately 10% as estimated using a musculoskeletal model. Bracing resulted in a greater reduction in joint contact force for those who had more severe OA while still maintaining a hip adduction moment similar to that of healthy controls

INTRODUCTION. Cementless tibial trays commonly fail through failure of fixation due to excessive interface motion. However, the specific combination of axial and shear forces precipitating implant failure is unknown. This has led to generic loading profiles approximating walking to perform pre-clinical assessment of new designs, even though telemetric data demonstrates that much larger forces and moments are generated during other functional activities. This study was undertaken to test the hypotheses: (i) interface motion of cementless tibial trays varies as a function of specific activities, and (ii) the response of the cementless tibial interface to walking loading is not representative of other functional activities. MATERIALS and METHODS. Six fresh-frozen cadaveric tibias were tested using a custom designed functional activity simulator after implantation of a posterior stabilized total knee replacement (NexGen LPS, Zimmer, Warsaw IN). Activity scenarios were selected using force (Fx, Fy, Fz) and moment (Mx, My, Mz) data from patients with instrumented tibial trays (E-tibia) published by Bergmann et al. A pattern of black and white spray paint was applied to the surface of the specimen including the tibial tray and bone. Each specimen was preconditioned through application of a vertical load of 1050N for 500 cycles of flexion-extension from 5–100°. Following preconditioning, each tibia was loaded using e-tibia values of forces and moments for walking, stair-descent, and sit-to-stand activities. The differential motion of the tibial tray and the adjacent bony surface was monitored using digital image correlation (DIC) (resolution: 1–2 microns in plane; 3–4 microns out-of-plane). Four pairs of stereo-images of the tray and tibial bone were prepared at sites around the circumference of the construct in both the loaded and unloaded conditions: (i) before and after pre-conditioning and (ii) before and after the 6 functional loading profiles. The images were processed to provide circumferential measurements of interface motion during loading. Differences in micromotion and migration were evaluated statistically using step-wise multivariate regression. RESULTS. The average 3D motion of the tibial tray varied extensively with the loading conditions corresponding to the different activities (Figs 1,2). The largest 3D motion was seen during the first peak of stair descent (86.6±8.0µm) and the first peak of walking (83.1±10.2µm; p=0.5516), both of which were characterized by large adduction moments (18.5 and 19.1Nm respectively). The differences between 3D micromotion of all other pairs of activities were statistically significant (p<0.0001 to p=0.0127). Each of the 6 loading scenarios simulated elicited a different combination of components of implant displacement at the cementless interface. The largest differences in interface motion were observed between the first peak of walking and all of the other loading modes with reversal of the direction of the SI (p=0.3828), AP (p<0.0001) and ML (p<0.0001) components of tray displacement (Figs. 2,3). CONCLUSIONS. 1. Magnitude and direction of interface motion between the tibia and a cementless tibial tray vary with specific loading patterns. 2. Interface motion observed during loading conditions representative of walking are not indicative of the stability of cementless implant fixation when exposed to loading conditions generated by other activities. For figures/tables, please contact authors directly.

Introduction. Preservation of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), along with the posterior cruciate ligament, is believed to improve functional outcomes in total knee replacement (TKR). The purpose of this study was to examine gait differences and muscle activation levels between ACL sacrificing (ACL-S) and bicruciate retaining (BCR) TKR subjects during level walking, downhill walking, and stair climbing. Methods. Ten ACL-S (Vanguard CR) (69±8 yrs, 28.7±4.7 kg/m2) and eleven BCR (Vanguard XP, Zimmer-Biomet) (63±11 yrs, 31.0±7.6 kg/m2) subjects participated in this IRB approved study. Except for the condition of the ACL, both TKR designs were similar. Subjects were tested 8–14 months post-op in a motion analysis lab using a point cluster marker set and surface electrodes applied to the Vastus Medialis Oblique (VMO), Rectus Femoris (RF), Biceps Femoris (BF) and Semitendinosus (ST). 3D motion and force data and electromyography (EMG) data were collected simultaneously. Subjects were instructed to walk at a comfortable walking speed across a walkway, down a 12.5% downhill slope, and up a staircase. Five trials per activity were collected. Knee kinematics and kinetics were analyzed using BioMove (Stanford, Stanford, CA). The EMG dataset underwent full-wave rectification and was smoothed using a 300ms RMS window. Gait cycle was time normalized to 100%; relative voluntary contraction (RVC) was calculated by dividing the average activation during downhill walking by the maximum EMG value during level walking and multiplying by 100%. Results. There were no significant kinematic or kinetic differences between implant groups for level walking (p≥0.19). Both groups walked at 1.1 m/s on average during level and approximately 0.1 m/s slower during downhill walking, with no differences in speed (p= 0.91 and 0.77, respectively). For both ACL-S and BCR groups, gait changes from level to downhill walking were similar. For downhill walking, ACL-S subjects were significantly more variable (p<0.001) over the gait cycle for all measured kinematics and kinetics. During both downhill walking and stair climbing, the ACL-S group showed an external peak abduction moment (Fig. 1) significantly greater than that of the BCR group (p=0.05, 0.01). Also during stair climbing, ACL-S subjects showed trending higher peak knee adduction moments (p=0.14) and a more pronounced internal/external rotation pattern (Fig. 2) than BCR subjects. Since no peak kinematic/kinetic differences between groups during level walking exist, the mean maximum muscle activation from level walking was used for RVC normalization for other activities. On average, BCR subjects had lower maximum RVCs during downhill walking than the ACL-S subjects. Effect sizes were large for RF (d=0.94), ST (d=0.88), and VMO (d=1.21), the latter being borderline significant (p=0.05). Discussion. Previous studies on the natural knee have established that the ACL contains mechanoreceptors that improve stability of the knee joint. In this study, BCR subjects show less variable gait measures than subjects with traditional posterior cruciate retaining (ACL-S) TKR, possibly indicating more controlled contact kinematics. In addition, EMG results suggest lower muscle co-contraction during downhill walking, also implying greater knee stability in the BCR group. These results are preliminary and more subjects are needed for definite conclusions

BACKGROUND. High tibial Osteotomy (HTO) realigns the forces in the knee to slow the progression of osteoarthritis. This study relates the changes in knee joint biomechanics during level gait to glutamate signalling in the subchondral bone of patients pre and post HTO. Glutamate transmits mechanical signals in bone and activates glutamate receptors to influence inflammation, degeneration and nociception in arthritic joints. Thus glutamate signalling is a mechanism whereby mechanical load can directly modulate joint pathology and pain. METHODS. 3D motion analysis was used to assess level gait prior to HTO (n=5) and postoperatively (n=2). A biomechanical model of each subject was created in Visual3D (C-motion. Inc) and used for biomechanical analysis. Gene expression was analysed by RT-PCR from bone cores from anterior and posterior drill holes, subdivided according to medial or lateral proximal tibia from HTO patients (n=5). RESULTS. Knee adduction moment is a clinical marker of medial compartment loading. Pre-operatively the mean peak adduction moment was 3.8 ± 1.8 % body weight times height (BW.h). One subject maintained a consistent peak adduction moment pre (1.8 %BW.h) and post-operatively (1.9 %BW.h) with a reduction in the second moment peak. Another subjects peak adduction moment was significantly reduced from 6.7 %BW.h pre-operatively to 1.4 %BW.h postoperatively. GAPDH, osteocalcin, EAAT-1, EAAT1ex9skip, NR2A, KA1, OPG and RANKL mRNA expression was detected in HTO bone cores. In one patient, where HTO reduced medial compartment loading, differential expression of EAAT1ex9skip and KA1 was observed in pre and post HTO bone cores. CONCLUSION. Changes in knee adduction moments following HTO have been identified indicating altered medial compartmental loading. This is being investigated further in larger cohorts in a 5 year study. We have demonstrated that glutamate transporters and receptors are expressed in human subchondral bone and that glutamate transporter mRNA expression may vary after HTO surgery. In arthritis, glutamate concentrations in the synovial fluid are increased, activating receptors in joint tissues and nerves to influence pathology and nociception. Thus glutamatergic signals represent a direct mechanism linking mechanical loading through the joint to pathology and pain in human arthritis