Article

Gait function is one of the most important components of functional outcome
evaluation in patients with a tumor around the knee. In addition to walking at a
preferred speed, the patients might be sometimes required to walk fast in daily
life (e.g., schooling and working) because the major types of bone tumors often
occur in adolescence and young adults. Therefore, recovering the ability to walk
fast would increase the quality of life of these patients. To clarify which parts
of the lower limb are exerted while walking fast, we investigated the kinematic
and kinetic changes during fast walking in patients who underwent endoprosthetic
knee replacement after bone tumor resection. Laboratory-based gait analysis was
performed on eight patients who had undergone endoprosthetic knee replacement
following resection of a tumor around the knee. Patients walked at a preferred
and faster speed, and the gait parameters were compared between the two walking
speeds for each leg. To increase walking speed, patients tended to rely on the
bilateral hip, ankle, and contralateral knee to generate additional power.
Kinetic analysis showed that involved-side vertical body support was not
significantly increased during late stance to increase walking speed, which was
associated with a small increase in ankle plantarflexion moment and concentric
power. These results suggest to patients after knee reconstruction how to
effectively increase their walking speed or redistribute the mechanical load on
the muscles and joints to prevent excessive stress on the lower limbs.
CI - Copyright (c) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS