Article

Three-dimensional gait analysis is a diagnostic tool that can be used to gain a better understanding of the relationship between joint loading and the onset or
progression of articular cartilage degeneration in subjects with varus
malalignment. The purpose of the present study was to investigate knee and hip
joint angles and moments in children and adolescents with pathological varus
alignment of the knee without signs of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Moreover, we
wanted to know if compensatory mechanisms are present in this young patient
group. Fourteen, otherwise healthy patients with varus malalignment of the knee
and 15 healthy control subjects were analysed. Patients showed a reduced knee
extension and a significantly lower maximum knee extension moment in terminal
stance compared to controls. The maximum knee adduction moment in mid and
terminal stance and the maximum hip abduction moment in loading response were
significantly higher in the patient group. In the transverse plane, abnormally
increased knee internal rotation and hip external rotation moments were present
in patients with varus malalignment. These findings imply that varus malalignment
is not an isolated problem in the frontal plane. In contrast to adult patients
with established medial knee OA, the young patients assessed in the present study
did not show typical compensatory mechanisms such as increased foot progression
angle or reduced walking speed. This suggests that children and adolescents with
varus malalignment of the knee probably do not need to alter their
spatio-temporal gait parameters in order to decrease knee joint loading.
CI - Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS