Monitoring the kinematics of Walking and Running Gait after total knee replacement using a generation of Kinematic Retaining prosthetic knee implant.

Abstract

Gait analysis has its role in rehabilitation medicine, orthopaedics, kinesiology, sports science, and other related fields of human locomotion. Use of gait analysis in the evaluation of the efficacy of joint replacement has increased over the last two decades due to the advancement of computer technology and the requirements of more quantitative data which can allow for better and more referenceable assessment of the performance of in service knees. This study was designed to investigate and monitor the kinematics of running and walking gait after a total unilateral or bilateral knee implant operation using the new-generation high-performance kinematic retaining prosthesis “Lima Corp Italy”. This type of post operation for running gait analysis had never been performed previously. It is designed to identify further kinematic data about the knee that may not be possible to observe using walking gait analysis alone. The kinematics of running gait in a group of 12 patients were monitored and results are presented here. The cost and resources required to do this was also questioned and the possibility of a more controlled image capture using cheaper mobile devices was examined.