Measures of frontal plane lower limb alignment obtained from static radiographs and dynamic gait analysis

Currently, lower limb alignment is measured statically from radiographs that may not accurately represent the condition of the limb when moving and weight-bearing. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to introduce and examine a novel measure of dynamic lower limb alignment obtained during walking in patients with knee OA. In this cross-sectional study, standing, full-length lower limb radiographs were acquired from 80 individuals with confirmed knee OA, who also underwent three-dimensional gait analyses with reflective markers placed on the segments of the lower limb. Frontal plane lower limb alignment was measured using the static radiographs (mechanical axis) and gait analyses (marker-based alignment) by identifying the centres of the hip, knee, and ankle from both methods. Simple linear regression indicated these measures were highly correlated (r=0.84), however, 30% of the variance in the marker-based measure of lower limb alignment was not explained by the mechanical axis despite using the same anatomical landmarks. Results from this study suggest that a valid measure of dynamic lower limb alignment can be obtained from a standard quantitative gait analysis and highlight the differences in measures of lower limb alignment obtained in static and dynamic situations. Future research into the clinical utility of measures of dynamic alignment in the treatment of OA may aid in the development of interventions specifically tailored to one's dynamic lower limb biomechanics during gait.