Sixty patients with severe knee osteoarthritis scheduled for a total knee arthroplasty were included in this study. Twenty-six subjects were recruited as the control group. The spatio-temporal parameters, three-dimensional full-body kinematics, and lower body kinetics were evaluated during a comfortable gait and compared between the groups. Pain and function were assessed with the WOMAC questionnaire.
The full-body gait analysis demonstrated substantially different gait patterns and compensation mechanisms between the three groups. Patients with varus knee alignment significantly augmented their trunk movements in sagittal and frontal planes compared to patients with a valgus knee. In addition, patients with a valgus knee reported lower pain and lower functional deficits compared to patients with a varus knee.
We found that gait compensations were significantly influenced by lower limb alignment. These new insights related to different knee osteoarthritis gait patterns might help in the understanding of gait compensation behaviours prior to total knee arthroplasty and better manage the strategies of rehabilitation following surgery.