Do individuals with knee osteoarthritis walk with distinct knee biomechanics and muscle activation characteristics? An investigation of knee osteoarthritis, hip osteoarthritis, and asymptomatic groups.

Abstract

Knee osteoarthritis is a musculoskeletal condition affecting mobility and function. Hallmark biomechanical indicators have been linked knee OA severity and progression, yet it remains unknown whether these are exclusive to the OA knee. Thesis objectives were to determine whether these gait outcomes were unique to those with knee OA by concurrently investigating groups of asymptomatic individuals and those with hip OA. Forty-eight participants walked on an instrumented treadmill while knee motion, ground reaction forces, and electromyographic signals were collected. Lateral: medial activation ratios were computed for the surrounding knee muscles. Hamstring muscle activation is affected by hip OA in a direction opposite to knee OA and provides a gait outcome that is unique in the knee OA disease. In the other studied features, similarities either exist between hip OA and knee OA (sagittal plane moments), or asymptomatic and knee OA (frontal plane moments) or all three groups (sagittal plane motion).