Gait analysis in coxarthrosis

I report the results from gait analysis for coxarthrotic patients using a ground reaction force plate and a three-dimensional motion analysis system. Twenty-seven coxarthrotic patients, and 9 healthy females as controls, participated in this study. The waveform of the ground reaction force and the joint moment during the stance phase were evaluated. The waveform of the hip joint moment changed and flattened in both pre-coxarthrosis and early-coxarthrotic patients, compared to those in controls, indicating that coxarthrotic patients adopted a particular gait pattern to reduce the load on the affected hip joint. Beyond X-ray observations and physical examinations, joint moment analysis could achieve a more objective evaluation of the clinical stage of coxarthrosis.