This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the gait, quality of life and functionality of patients who underwent curettage and adjuvant treatment around the knee.
The process began with obtaining informed consent from participants, followed by the completion of relevant questionnaires: the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) and the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS)
Gait analysis was conducted by instructing participants to walk at a comfortable pace for one minute along a four-meter walkway. Retroreflective markers were affixed to the lower back, mid-thigh, mid-shank, and feet. Gait motion was captured using Vero Vicon® cameras, and 3D reconstruction and data analysis were performed using the Motion Monitor system by Innovative Sports Training®, Inc. All values were assessed for normality using the Shapiro-Wilk test and are presented as average and standard deviation. We analyzed all gait cycles, including stance phase, swing phase, cycle (stride) duration, and stride (step) length. For basic parameters, results were compared with existing literature. For kinematic analysis, we compared affected and non-affected sides, testing significance with a one-sample t-test. Statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics Data Editor version 28.0.0.0.
In total, nine subjects were included in this study, all of whom underwent curettage and adjuvant therapy in the distal femur. A statistically significant difference was found in the stance phase for the operated side (p 0.05) (affected: 63.72% [SD: 2.1]; non-affected: 65.7% [SD: 1.9]). No significant differences were observed in the swing phase (affected: 36.2% [SD: 2.1]; non-affected: 34.2% [SD: 1.9]), stride duration (affected: 0.98s [SD: 0.09s]; non-affected: 1.1s [SD: 0.17s]), and step length (affected: 0.52m [SD: 0.12m]; non-affected: 0.54m [SD: 0.14m]). Additionally, when compared to existing literature regarding gait speed, both cadence (96.1 steps/min) and speed (0.85 m/s) were found to be lower than normative values (Holden et al., 1997: cadence: 99 [SD: 6] steps/min; speed: 1.00 [SD: 0.05] m/s) in healthy individuals. Both MSTS (mean: 26.1, SD [5.9]) and LEFS (mean: 76%, SD [0.21]) questionnaires had high scores for all but two participants.
In conclusion, subjects who underwent curettage and adjuvant treatment demonstrated restoration of gait when comparing kinematic analysis between affected and non-affected sides. The high scores on MSTS and LEFS questionnaires suggest a favorable quality of life and functional status among the participants . However, when compared to normative values, both cadence and speed were lower.
Curettage and adjuvant therapy appears to be an effective treatment option for GCT,ABC and CF, contributing positively to gait restoration, quality of life and functionality.
curettage
knee tumors
