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Takano S1, Hirohama K1, Fujii N1, Uchida S2, Ozawa J2, Kito N2
1Hiroshima International University, Medical Engineering and Technology Graduate School of Medical Technology and Health Welfare Sciences, Higashihiroshimashi, Japan, 2Hiroshima International University, Faculty of General Rehabilitation, Higashihiroshimashi, Japan
Background: Increased knee varus motion during weight bearing in gait is considered a risk factor for knee osteoarthritis onset and progression. Previous research has shown that knee varus motion during weight bearing in gait is common, even in healthy individuals, and is frequently observed in older adults, consistent with the increased incidence of knee osteoarthritis. Therefore, to develop a prevention strategy for this modifiable risk factor, it is necessary to investigate factors related to knee varus motion. Hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness plays an important role in stabilizing the hip joint and controlling mediolateral direction during gait; however, excessively high hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness may affect other joints. The relationship between hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness and knee varus motion remains unclear.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness and knee varus motion during weight bearing gait in healthy older adults. We hypothesized that increased hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness would be correlated with increased knee varus motion during the weight-acceptance phase of gait.
Methods: Forty-one community-dwelling healthy older adults (mean age: 70.19 ± 4.44 years, height: 1.56 ± 0.07 m, weight: 57.31 ± 8.67 kg; 26 females) participated in this study. Kinematic and kinetic data during gait were collected using a motion capture system and force plates. Hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness was calculated during the weight-acceptance phase of gait as the change in external hip adduction moment divided by the change in the hip adduction angle. The magnitude of knee varus motion was calculated as the difference between the knee adduction angle at heel strike and the first maximum knee adduction angle during the stance phase of gait. The means of 3 trials were used for subsequent statistical analysis. The relationship between hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness and the magnitude of knee varus motion was examined using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient. The level of significance was set at 0.05.
Results: In healthy older adults, hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness was positively correlated with the magnitude of knee varus motion (r = 0.32, p = 0.035), indicating that increased hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness was correlated with increased magnitude of knee varus motion during gait.
Conclusion(s): This study showed that increased hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness was associated with increased magnitude of knee varus motion in healthy older adults. We propose that higher hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness may lead to knee varus motion in healthy older adults. Further research is needed to determine whether a similar relationship is true in older adults with knee osteoarthritis.
Implications: Excessively high hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness may be a therapeutic target to prevent knee varus motion associated with onset and progression of knee osteoarthritis.
Keywords: gait, hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness, knee varus motion
Funding acknowledgements: none
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness and knee varus motion during weight bearing gait in healthy older adults. We hypothesized that increased hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness would be correlated with increased knee varus motion during the weight-acceptance phase of gait.
Methods: Forty-one community-dwelling healthy older adults (mean age: 70.19 ± 4.44 years, height: 1.56 ± 0.07 m, weight: 57.31 ± 8.67 kg; 26 females) participated in this study. Kinematic and kinetic data during gait were collected using a motion capture system and force plates. Hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness was calculated during the weight-acceptance phase of gait as the change in external hip adduction moment divided by the change in the hip adduction angle. The magnitude of knee varus motion was calculated as the difference between the knee adduction angle at heel strike and the first maximum knee adduction angle during the stance phase of gait. The means of 3 trials were used for subsequent statistical analysis. The relationship between hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness and the magnitude of knee varus motion was examined using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient. The level of significance was set at 0.05.
Results: In healthy older adults, hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness was positively correlated with the magnitude of knee varus motion (r = 0.32, p = 0.035), indicating that increased hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness was correlated with increased magnitude of knee varus motion during gait.
Conclusion(s): This study showed that increased hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness was associated with increased magnitude of knee varus motion in healthy older adults. We propose that higher hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness may lead to knee varus motion in healthy older adults. Further research is needed to determine whether a similar relationship is true in older adults with knee osteoarthritis.
Implications: Excessively high hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness may be a therapeutic target to prevent knee varus motion associated with onset and progression of knee osteoarthritis.
Keywords: gait, hip frontal dynamic joint stiffness, knee varus motion
Funding acknowledgements: none
Topic: Musculoskeletal: lower limb; Human movement analysis; Older people
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Hiroshima international university
Ethics committee: Institutional Review Board
Ethics number: C17-009
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
