Dataset Information

Simulated Ankle Equinus Affects Knee Kinematics During Gait.

ABSTRACT: It is critical to distinguish gait compensations from true abnormalities when planning interventions to improve gait in individuals with neuromuscular disorders.The aim of this study was to determine the effect of isolated ankle equinus on knee kinematics during the initial contact phase of gait.Ten healthy subjects (29?+?4.3 years) participated, and testing occurred in a motion analysis laboratory. This cross-sectional study investigated five gait conditions in each subject: shoe alone, shoe with unilateral ankle foot orthosis locked at neutral, 10°, 20°, and 30° of fixed ankle plantar flexion. Gait kinematics were recorded and calculated with 3D motion analysis. The difference between the shoe and each brace condition was analyzed by repeated-measures ANOVA. The primary outcome was knee flexion at initial contact.With greater than 10° simulated ankle equinus, the primary gait compensation pattern was increased knee flexion at initial contact. A significant degree of knee flexion occurred ranging from 7° to 22°.Our data suggests that observed knee flexion at initial contact may be a compensation pattern in individuals with >10° ankle equinus. However, in individuals with ?10° ankle equinus, observed knee flexion may represent a true gait deviation. This has clinical significance in the realm of cerebral palsy for treatment planning to improve gait.

SUBMITTER: Drefus LC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4733689 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Simulated Ankle Equinus Affects Knee Kinematics During Gait.

Drefus Lisa C LC Hafer Jocelyn F JF Scher David M DM

HSS journal : the musculoskeletal journal of Hospital for Special Surgery 20151008 1

<h4>Background</h4>It is critical to distinguish gait compensations from true abnormalities when planning interventions to improve gait in individuals with neuromuscular disorders.<h4>Questions/purposes</h4>The aim of this study was to determine the effect of isolated ankle equinus on knee kinematics during the initial contact phase of gait.<h4>Methods</h4>Ten healthy subjects (29 + 4.3 years) participated, and testing occurred in a motion analysis laboratory. This cross-sectional study investig ...[more]

PMID: 26855626

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundWeakness of ankle and knee musculature following injury or disorder results in reduced joint motion associated with metabolically expensive gait compensations to enable limb support and advancement. However, neuromechanical coupling between the ankle and knee make it difficult to discern independent roles of these restrictions in joint motion on compensatory mechanics and metabolic penalties.MethodsWe sought to determine relative impacts of ankle and knee impairment on compensatory gait strategies and energetic outcomes using an unimpaired cohort (N = 15) with imposed unilateral joint range of motion restrictions as a surrogate for reduced motion resulting from gait pathology. Participants walked on a dual-belt instrumented treadmill at 0.8 m s-1 using a 3D printed ankle stay and a knee brace to systematically limit ankle motion (restricted-ank), knee motion (restricted-knee), and ankle and knee motion (restricted-a + k) simultaneously. In addition, participants walked without any ankle or knee bracing (control) and with knee bracing worn but unrestricted (braced).ResultsWhen ankle motion was restricted (restricted-ank, restricted-a + k) we observed decreased peak propulsion relative to the braced condition on the restricted limb. Reduced knee motion (restricted-knee, restricted-a + k) increased restricted limb circumduction relative to the restricted-ank condition through ipsilateral hip hiking. Interestingly, restricted limb average positive hip power increased in the restricted-ank condition but decreased in the restricted-a + k and restricted-knee conditions, suggesting that locking the knee impeded hip compensation. As expected, reduced ankle motion, either without (restricted-ank) or in addition to knee restriction (restricted-a + k) yielded significant increase in net metabolic rate when compared with the braced condition. Furthermore, the relative increase in metabolic cost was significantly larger with restricted-a + k when compared to restricted-knee condition.ConclusionsOur methods allowed for the reproduction of asymmetric gait characteristics including reduced propulsive symmetry and increased circumduction. The metabolic consequences bolster the potential energetic benefit of targeting ankle function during rehabilitation.Trial registrationN/A.

Project description:Simultaneous motion of the knee and ankle joints is required for many activities including gait. We aimed to evaluate the influence of surgery involving tendons around the knee on ankle motion during gait in the sagittal plane in cerebral palsy patients.We included data from 55 limbs in 34 patients with spastic cerebral palsy. Patients were followed up after undergoing only distal hamstring lengthening with or without additional rectus femoris transfer. The patients' mean age at the time of knee surgery was 11.2?±?4.7 years, and the mean follow-up duration was 2.2?±?1.5 years (range, 0.9-6.0 years). Pre- and postoperative kinematic variables that were extracted from three-dimensional gait analyses were then compared to assess changes in ankle motion after knee surgery. Outcome measures included ankle dorsiflexion at initial contact, peak ankle dorsiflexion during stance, peak ankle dorsiflexion during swing, and dynamic range of motion of the ankle. Various sagittal plane knee kinematics were also measured and used to predict ankle kinematics. A linear mixed model was constructed to estimate changes in ankle motion after adjusting for multiple factors.Improvement in total range of motion of the knee resulted in improved motion of the ankle joint. We estimated that after knee surgery, ankle dorsiflexion at initial contact, peak ankle dorsiflexion during stance, peak ankle dorsiflexion during swing, and dynamic range of motion of the ankle decreased, respectively, by 0.4° (p?=?0.016), 0.6° (p?<?0.001), 0.2° (p?=?0.038), and 0.5° (p?=?0.006) per degree increase in total range of motion of the knee after either knee surgery. Furthermore, dynamic range of motion of the ankle increased by 0.4° per degree increase in postoperative peak knee flexion during swing.Improvement in total knee range of motion was found to be correlated with improvement in ankle kinematics after surgery involving tendons around the knee. As motion of the knee and ankle joints is cross-linked, surgeons should be aware of potential changes in the ankle joint after knee surgery.

Project description:BackgroundDocumenting the healthy articulation of the syndesmosis and talocrural joints, and measurement of 3D medial and lateral clear spaces may improve diagnostic and treatment guidelines for patients suffering from severe syndesmotic injury or chronic instability. This study aimed to define the range of motion (ROM) and displacement of the fibula and talus during static and dynamic activities, and measure the 3D movement in the tibiofibular (syndesmosis) and medial clear space.MethodsSix healthy volunteers performed dynamic weightbearing motions on a single-leg: heel-rise, squat, torso twist, and box jump. Participants posed in a nonweightbearing neutral stance as well as weightbearing neutral standing, plantarflexion, and dorsiflexion. High-speed stereoradiography measured 3D rotation and translation of the fibula and talus throughout each task. Medial clear space and tibiofibular gap distances were measured under each condition.ResultsTotal ROM for the fibula was greatest in internal-external rotation (9.3 ± 3.5 degrees), and anteroposterior (3.3 ± 2.2 mm) and superior-inferior (2.5 ± 0.9 mm) translation, rather than lateral widening (1.7 ± 1.0 mm). The total rotational ROM of the talus was greatest in dorsiflexion-plantarflexion (34.7 ± 12.9 degrees) and internal-external rotation (15.0 ± 3.4 degrees). Single-leg squatting increased the lateral clear space (P = .045) and widened the medial tibiofibular joint, whereas single-leg heel-rises decreased the lateral clear space (P = .001) and widened the tibiotalar space. Gap spaces in the tibiofibular and medial clear spaces did not exceed 2.3 ± 0.9 mm and 2.7 ± 1.2 mm, respectively.ConclusionThese data support a potential shift in the clinical understanding of fibula displacements during dynamic activities and how implant device constructs might be developed to restore physiologic mechanics.Clinical relevanceSyndesmosis stabilization and rehabilitation should consider restoration of normal physiologic rotation and translation of the fibula and ankle mortise rather than focusing solely on the restriction of lateral translation.

Project description:BackgroundThe prevalence of diabetes mellitus has reached epidemic proportions, this condition may result in multiple and chronic invalidating long term complications. Among these, the diabetic foot, is determined by the simultaneous presence of both peripheral neuropathy and vasculopathy that alter the biomechanics of the foot with the formation of callosity and ulcerations. To diagnose and treat the diabetic foot is crucial to understand the foot complex kinematics. Most of gait analysis protocols represent the entire foot as a rigid body connected to the shank. Nevertheless the existing multisegment models cannot completely decipher the impairments associated with the diabetic foot.MethodsA four segment foot and ankle model for assessing the kinematics of the diabetic foot was developed. Ten normal subjects and 10 diabetics gait patterns were collected and major sources of variability were tested. Repeatability analysis was performed both on a normal and on a diabetic subject. Direct skin marker placement was chosen in correspondence of 13 anatomical landmarks and an optoelectronic system was used to collect the data.ResultsJoint rotation normative bands (mean plus/minus one standard deviation) were generated using the data of the control group. Three representative strides per subject were selected. The repeatability analysis on normal and pathological subjects results have been compared with literature and found comparable. Normal and pathological gait have been compared and showed major statistically significant differences in the forefoot and midfoot dorsi-plantarflexion.ConclusionEven though various biomechanical models have been developed so far to study the properties and behaviour of the foot, the present study focuses on developing a methodology for the functional assessment of the foot-ankle complex and for the definition of a functional model of the diabetic neuropathic foot. It is, of course, important to evaluate the major sources of variation (true variation in the subject's gait and artefacts from the measurement procedure). The repeatability of the protocol was therefore examined, and results showed the suitability of this method both on normal and pathological subjects. Comparison between normal and pathological kinematics analysis confirmed the validity of a similar approach in order to assess neuropathics biomechanics impairment.

Dataset Information

Simulated Ankle Equinus Affects Knee Kinematics During Gait.

Publications

Simulated Ankle Equinus Affects Knee Kinematics During Gait.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure