Lower limb kinematics of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty individuals during stair ascent

Rumit Singh Kakar; Yang-Chieh Fu; Tracy L Kinsey; Cathleen N Brown; Ormonde M Mahoney; Kathy J Simpson

doi:10.1016/j.jor.2020.04.009

Lower limb kinematics of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty individuals during stair ascent

J Orthop. 2020 May 1:22:173-178. doi: 10.1016/j.jor.2020.04.009. eCollection 2020 Nov-Dec.

Authors

Rumit Singh Kakar¹, Yang-Chieh Fu², Tracy L Kinsey³, Cathleen N Brown⁴, Ormonde M Mahoney^{3

5}, Kathy J Simpson⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA.
² National Taiwan University, China.
³ Athens Orthopedic Clinic, PA, Athens, GA, USA.
⁴ Department of Kinesiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
⁵ Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.

Abstract

Objective: Purpose of the study was to compare lower-limb kinematics and interlimb asymmetry during stair ascent in individuals post-medial or lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA).

Methods: 60 patients (20 medial; 10 lateral) post-UKA and 30 matched healthy controls performed stair ascent. Spatio-temporal, lower-limb kinematics and interlimb asymmetries during stair ascent were compared.

Results: Medial-UKA group displayed 5° less knee extension of the UKA limb than controls (p = 0.005) and 2° less than the contralateral limb during stance phase. No interlimb asymmetries were found for lateral-UKA.

Conclusion: Patients post-UKA demonstrate satisfactory lower-limb kinematics and minimal interlimb asymmetry during stair ascent compared to healthy individuals.

Keywords: Gait; Kinematics; Osteoarthritis; Stair; Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.