Secondary gait changes in patients with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis: Increased load at the ankle, knee, and hip during walking

This study tested the hypothesis that gait changes related to knee osteoarthritis (OA) of varied severity are associated with increased loads at the ankle, knee, and hip.

Forty-two patients with bilateral medial compartment knee OA and 42 control subjects matched for sex, age, height, and mass were studied. Nineteen patients had Kellgren/Lawrence (K/L) radiographic severity grades of 1 or 2, and 23 patients had K/L grades of 3 or 4. Three-dimensional kinematics and kinetics were measured in the hip, knee, and ankle while the subjects walked at a self-selected speed.