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Research ArticleOpen Access

Effect of Cane on the Knee and Thorax Biomechanics in the Early Postoperative Period Following Total Knee Arthroplasty

Volume 3 - Issue 5

Hidenori Tanikawa*1, Ryo Ogawa2, Kengo Harato2, Yasuo Niki2, Shu Kobayashi2, Kazunari Okuma3, Takeo Nagura4

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    • 1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Saiseikai Yokohamashi Tobu Hospital, japan
    • 2Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Japan
    • 3Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Saitama City Hospital, Japan
    • 4Department of Clinical Biomechanics, Keio University School of Medicine, Japan

    *Corresponding author: Hidenori Tanikawa, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, SaiseikaiYokohamashi Tobu Hospital, 3-6-1 Shimosueyoshi, Tsurumi, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

Received: April 10, 2018;   Published: April 16, 2018

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2018.03.000965

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Abstract

Background: Although total knee arthroplasty (TKA) reliably reduces pain and improves knee function, several months are needed for the damaged quadriceps muscles to recover to preoperative strength. Patients with weak muscle strength often use a walking aid to prevent from falling after TKA. The aim of this study is to investigate the biomechanical effect of contralateral cane use on the knee and trunk movement in patients after TKA.

Methods: Twenty people with knee osteoarthritis scheduled to undergo unilateral TKA were enrolled in the study. The movements of knee joint and trunk were measured using three-dimensional motion analysis during walking. The kinematic and kinetic variables were statistically compared between aided walking and unaided walking using two-tailed paired t-tests.

Results: The peak knee adduction moment was significantly smaller in aided walking than in unaided walking. The peak trunk flexion angle and the peak trunk angle to the non-operated side were significantly smaller in aided walking than in unaided walking. The amount of coronal displacement of trunk in aided walking was significantly smaller than the unaided walking.

Conclusion: The use of a cane during walking decreases GRF by 5.6% and knee adduction moment by 15.8%. Also, the amount of coronal displacement of the trunk decreased with the use of a cane. Using a cane for walking during the initial rehabilitation period after TKA decrease the load on the knee joint, stabilize the movement of the trunk, and may useful for preventing patients from falls.

Keywords: Gait Analysis; Total Knee Arthroplasty; Biomechanics; Trunk; Cane

Abbrevation: TKA: Total Knee Arthroplasty; OA: Osteoarthritis; GRF: Ground Reaction Force

Abstract| Introduction| Materials and Methods| Results| Discussion| Conclusion| Acknowledgement| References