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Researchers identify biomechanical changes in knee, ankle after TKA in OA patients
Total knee arthroplasty significantly increases peak ankle plantarflexion, peak ankle dorsiflexion movements and ankle power generation in patients with osteoarthritis, indicating that the ankle joint may compensate for impaired knee function, according to this study.
“Several biomechanical changes in the knee and ankle were identified in the surgical group before and following [total knee arthroplasty] TKA compared to the control group,” Pazit Levinger, PhD, and colleagues wrote in their study. “Differences in gait parameters observed at the knee may arise as a result of the presence of [osteoarthritis] OA and mechanical changes associated with TKA as well as retention of the pre-surgery gait pattern.”
Levinger and colleagues analyzed knee joint kinematics and kinetics of 32 patients with OA prior to TKA and after 12 months, comparing them to 28 age-matched control patients without OA, according to the abstract. After TKA, the OA patients had improved overall WOMAC, stiffness, pain and function scores compared to control patients.
Disclosure: One of the authors (Feller) is a paid consultant for Tornier and received financial support for his fellowship by Smith & Nephew. One of the authors (Bartlett) receives stock options from Advanced Surgical Design.