Assessment of pre- and post-operative gait dynamics in total knee arthroplasty by a wearable capture system

Background

Walking function reconstruction is suboptimal after total knee arthroplasty. However, a comprehensive investigation of kinematic and kinetic parameters before and after total knee arthroplasty is lacking. This study aimed to quantitatively compare the differences in gait parameters before and after total knee arthroplasty with those of healthy control group.

Methods

This study utilized a wearable capture system to obtain gait parameters from pre- operative and one-year post- operative patients, as well as from the healthy control group. The parameters included walking speed, the stance phase percentage during the gait cycle, knee flexion angle, center of pressure trajectory, vertical ground reaction force, and its moment on the coronal plane of the knee joint.

Results

Post-total knee arthroplasty patients presented an averaged 12.5 % improvement in walking speed and an averaged 19.75 % increasement in the maximum knee flexion angle during the gait cycle, although both were still lower than those of the healthy control group. During the stance phase, the vertical ground reaction force exhibited a less pronounced double-hump feature, and compared to preoperative levels, the peak of the coronal plane moment of the knee was reduced by approximately half.

Conclusion

One-year post- total knee arthroplasty patients exhibited improved walking function compared to preoperative levels, but a gap remained compared to healthy control group. Additionally, preoperative gait abnormalities persisted postoperatively.