We performed gait analysis for 8 patients who underwent endoprosthetic knee replacement after bone tumor resection and 8 matched healthy subjects. Gait kinematics, kinetics, and energetics of patients' ipsilateral and contralateral limbs were compared with those of healthy subjects by using Dunnett's test.
Compared with healthy subjects, patients showed increased negative joint power around the ipsilateral ankle, greater second peak in the contralateral vertical ground reaction forces, and abnormal hip movement on both sides after initial contact.
Patients tended to compensate for dysfunction of the reconstructed knee by muscles around the ipsilateral ankle and contralateral hip, with increased load on the contralateral limb during walking. These differences could lead to secondary impairments. Further analysis, including musculoskeletal simulation and assessment of long-term functional outcome with regard to secondary musculoskeletal impairment, is needed to verify the significance of the change in gait and to determine the need for special care for secondary musculoskeletal dysfunction in these patients.