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BACKGROUND: This study on gait biomechanics is based on a functional test (FT) performed at free and fast walking speeds. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the pattern of changes in gait biomechanical parameters and the knee function in patients after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury or its reconstruction. METHODS: The study included 51 patients (33 males, 18 females) with a confirmed recent or old history of ACL tear, before or after reconstruction (26 patients). Mocap data was obtained using an inertial system. All patients were divided into three groups: 41 patients with physiological response (compensation), 6 patients with signs of decompensation, and 4 non-assessable patients. RESULTS: Increase in gait speed was associated with decrease in the walking cycle duration, stance and double support phases. In the compensation group, the physiological response of the knee was manifested in increased amplitudes. In the decompensation group, the amplitudes remained unchanged or decreased. In the compensation group, there were increases in the symmetrical muscle activity. The decompensation group was characterized by electromyography asymmetry. CONCLUSION: The observed universal physiological mechanism limiting the load on the damaged joint can be used for accurate assessment of the knee functional state in various periods of rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is still controversy over the criteria for acute ACL tear. In this paper, knee joint function and walking were considered possible ones. Method: The study included 21 subjects with acute ACL tear and 20 healthy volunteers as a control group. Biomechanical gait analysis was performed using the inertial sensor system including EMG recording. All subjects (but for controls) were divided into two groups: Group 1—"up to 4 weeks" and Group 2—"from 4 weeks to 3 months". Results: Temporal gait parameters in subjects from Group 1 demonstrate the asymmetry of 4% and more in terms of the gait cycle with a decrease in the affected limb, and are within normal range in Group 2. The amplitudes at the hip and knee joints in the affected limb are reduced which is especially pronounced in Group 1 (2–4 and 6–10 degrees, respectively). The affected knee joint shows a decrease in the range of motion by up to 5 degrees in the first half of the stance phase and flexion by less than 40 degrees in the swing phase. The tibialis anterior and quadriceps femoris muscle function is decreased in the affected limb only in Group 1 (72% and 78% from normal, respectively). Conclusions: The severity of the condition after an ACL tear is largely determined by functional changes. The time factor is of secondary importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Walking function disorders are typical for patients after cerebral stroke. Biofeedback technology (BFB) is currently considered effective and promising for training walking function, including in patients after cerebral stroke. Most studies recognize that BFB training is a promising tool for improving walking function; however, the data on the use of highly selective walking parameters for BFB training are very limited. The aim of our study was to investigate the feasibility of using BFB training targeting one of the basic parameters of gait symmetry—stance phase duration—in cerebral stroke patients in the early recovery period. The study included 20 hemiparetic patients in the early recovery period after the first hemispheric ischemic stroke. The control group included 20 healthy subjects. The BFB training and biomechanical analysis of walking (before and after all BFB sessions) were done using an inertial system. The mean number of BFB sessions was nine (from 8 to 11) during the three weeks in clinic. There was not a single negative response to BFB training among the study patients, either during the sessions or later. The spatiotemporal parameters of walking showed the whole syndrome complex of slow walking and typical asymmetry of temporal walking parameters, and did not change significantly as a result of the study therapy. The changes were more significant for the functioning of hip and knee joints. The contralateral hip amplitude returned to the normal range. For the knee joint, the amplitude of the first flexion increased and the value of the amplitude of hyperextension decreased in the middle of the stance phase. Concerning muscle function, the observed significant decrease in the function of m. Gastrocnemius and the hamstring muscles on the paretic side remained without change at the end of the treatment course. We obtained positive dynamics of the biomechanical parameters of walking in patients after the BFB training course. The feasibility and efficacy of their use for targeted correction need further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deforming osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a progressive disease associated with pain and compromised function of the joint. Typical biomechanical modifications in the gait of subjects with medial knee OA are characterized by decreased gait speed and overload on the affected limb. The borderline stage for conservative versus surgical management is Grade II OA. The aim of this research was to study preoperatively the specific features of gait, knee, and hip function in patients with Grade II medial OA. We examined 26 patients with Grade II unilateral gonarthritis with varus deformity and 20 healthy adults. Biomechanical parameters of gait were recorded using an inertial sensor system. The gait cycle (GC) slightly increased both for the affected and for the intact limb. The hip joint movements showed significant symmetrical reduction in the first flexion amplitude, as well as a symmetrical delay in full hip extension at the end of the stance phase. In the knee, the first flexion amplitude was significantly reduced on the affected side compared to healthy control. The extension amplitude in the single support phase was significantly increased in both the affected and the intact lower limbs. The swing amplitude was significantly reduced on the affected side. On the affected side, the changes were more pronounced, both in incidence and in severity. The affected knee showed a syndrome of three reduced amplitudes. In patients, walking is characterized by several groups of symptoms: those of unloading of the affected limb, those of limiting the load on the affected joint and the musculoskeletal system as a whole, and those of gait harmonization. The symptoms of unloading the affected side and those of harmonization are the common symptoms of adaptation, typical for several pathological conditions with a relatively preserved function. The intensity of the observed symptoms can help assess changes in the subject's functional condition over time and during the treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]