Relationship between ankle inversion angle and knee adduction moment on the intact limb in unilateral transfemoral amputees during walking

• Published in: International journal of precision engineering and manufacturing 2012-04, Vol.13 (4), p.609-615
• Main Authors: Chang, Yun Hee, Bae, Tae Soo, Kim, Shin Ki, Kim, Sol Bi, Mun, Mu Seong, Lee, Wan Hee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Engineering; Industrial and Production Engineering; Materials Science
• ISSN: 2234-7593; 2005-4602
• DOI: 10.1007/s12541-012-0078-3

The intact knee adduction moment of unilateral transfemoral amputees was in general higher than that of able-bodied subjects and it can be related to prevalence of knee osteoarthritis. Although high knee adduction moment was affected by ankle inversion in amputee gait, biomechanical study for that was rare. This study aimed to analyze the correlation between ankle inversion in gait parameters and the intact knee adduction moment in transfemoral amputees by gait analysis. For 13 transfemoral amputees and 14 healthy persons, kinematical and kinetic data including spatio-temporal parameters, joint angles, and moments on the coronal plane were calculated by 3D motion analysis during level walking. Bilateral hip abduction, the intact ankle inversion and knee abduction angles in transfemoral amputees were larger than that in normal subjects. Knee adduction moment in the terminal stance phase was 26% higher than that in the normal group. As ankle inversion angle and ankle power in the intact side of transfemoral amputees were increased, hip and knee adduction moments were also increased. Increased ankle inversion angle was related to slow walking speed, wider step width and longer stance time of the intact limb. Gait abnormalities by increased ankle inversion affected the intact hip and knee adduction moment of transfemoral amputees. Appropriate rehabilitation intervention like lateral wedge insole should be required to correct these abnormal gait patterns.