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Knee kinematics of severe medial knee osteoarthritis showed tibial posterior translation and external rotation: a cross-sectional study

Aging Clinical and Experimental Research volume 32, pages 1767–1775 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) gradually reduces knee function and limits activities of daily living with age. However, the progression of abnormal kinematics of the knee in knee OA is unclear.

Aims

This study aimed to clarify the relationship between stage of knee OA and abnormal knee kinematics and to identify a strategy for prevention of knee OA.

Methods

A total of 112 knees of 99 patients (45 men/54 women; 55.9 ± 18.2 years), comprising 28 (27/1) in Kellgren–Lawrence grade 0, 18 (8/10) in grade 1, 27 (2/25) in grade 2, 28 (6/22) in grade 3, and 11 (3/8) in grade 4, were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. In vivo knee kinematics was obtained using a three-dimensional-to-two-dimensional registration technique utilizing CT-based bone models and lateral fluoroscopy during knee extension–flexion in an upright sitting position and squatting.

Results

The external rotation angle of the tibia relative to the femur was greater in grade 3/4 knees than in grade 0/1 knees and tibial posterior translation was greater in grade 3/4 knees than in grade 0–2 knees.

Discussion

Age-related changes in muscle activity and joint instability are considered to be the cause of these abnormal kinematics.

Conclusions

As the stage of knee OA progresses, there was a tendency toward increasing tibial external rotation and tibial posterior translation during knee extension–flexion in sitting position and squatting. Prevention of the progress of the abnormal knee kinematics may prevent the progression of the knee OA.

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Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department Medical Engineering and Technology, Graduate School of Medical Technology and Health Welfare Sciences, Hiroshima International University, 555-36 Kurosegakuendai, Higashihiroshima-shi, Hiroshima-ken, 739-2695, Japan

    Futoshi Ikuta & Kazuyoshi Gamada

  2. Inanami Spine and Joint Hospital, 3-17-5 Higashishinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 140-0002, Japan

    Futoshi Ikuta

  3. Department of Rehabilitation, Kobayashi Hospital, Kita 3 Jo Nishi 4-chome, Kitami-shi, Hokkaido, 090-0043, Japan

    Kei Yoneta

  4. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Aino Memorial Hospital, 3838-1 Ainomachiotsu, Unzen-shi, Nagasaki-ken, 854-0301, Japan

    Takeshi Miyaji

  5. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki-ken, 852-8501, Japan

    Kenichi Kidera, Akihiko Yonekura & Makoto Osaki

Authors
  1. Futoshi Ikuta
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  2. Kei Yoneta
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  3. Takeshi Miyaji
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  7. Kazuyoshi Gamada
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Futoshi Ikuta.

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Conflict of interest

The custom-made 3D-Aligner and 3D-JointManager programs used in this study were developed by GLAB Corp., of which KG is the president. The first author (FI) purchased this software at the standard retail price, and the company did not provide any financial support for the study. The authors declare that there are no other potential conflicts of interest regarding the contents of this paper.

Research involving human participants and/or animals

The participants were recruited from patients attending our university hospital in Japan. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Ikuta, F., Yoneta, K., Miyaji, T. et al. Knee kinematics of severe medial knee osteoarthritis showed tibial posterior translation and external rotation: a cross-sectional study. Aging Clin Exp Res 32, 1767–1775 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-019-01361-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-019-01361-w

Keywords

  • Knee
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Kinematics
  • Progression
  • Squatting
  • In vivo