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Alterations in Sagittal Plane Knee Kinetics in Knee Osteoarthritis Using a Biomechanical Therapy Device

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Abstract

Knee frontal (adduction/abduction) and sagittal (flexion/extension) moments have been implicated in the pathomechanics of knee osteoarthritis (OA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in the knee sagittal moment in a cohort of patients with knee OA undergoing a biomechanical training program. Twenty-five female patients with symptomatic medial compartment knee OA were enrolled in a customized biomechanical intervention program. All patients underwent consecutive gait analyses prior to treatment initiation, and after 3 months and 9 months of therapy. Self-evaluative questionnaires, spatiotemporal gait parameters, peak knee sagittal moments, knee sagittal impulses, and duration of knee moments were compared throughout the duration of therapy. Differences between baseline and follow-up values were examined using nonparametric tests. Peak knee flexion moment (KFM) at loading response decreased significantly with therapy (p = 0.001). Duration of KFM and impulse of knee flexion also decreased significantly (p = 0.024 and p = 0.029, respectively). These changes were accompanied by increased walking velocity, significant pain reduction, and increased functional activity. Post-training kinetic evaluation demonstrated profound alterations of knee sagittal moments at the loading response KFM. We speculate that knee sagittal moments can potentially be improved in patients with knee OA over time with a biomechanical training program.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank APOS-Medical and Sports Technologies Ltd. for their generosity in contributing the devices used in the study.

Funding statement

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Conflict of interest

No author has any conflict of interest to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biorobotics and Biomechanics Laboratory, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel

    Eytan M. Debbi, Alon Wolf, Yulia Goryachev & Amir Haim

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Ha’Emek Medical Center, Afula, Israel

    Nimrod Rozen

  3. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Amir Haim

Authors
  1. Eytan M. Debbi
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  2. Alon Wolf
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  3. Yulia Goryachev
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  4. Nimrod Rozen
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  5. Amir Haim
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alon Wolf.

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Associate Editor Amit Gefen oversaw the review of this article.

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Debbi, E.M., Wolf, A., Goryachev, Y. et al. Alterations in Sagittal Plane Knee Kinetics in Knee Osteoarthritis Using a Biomechanical Therapy Device. Ann Biomed Eng 43, 1089–1097 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-014-1177-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-014-1177-3

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