Assessment of walking pattern pre and post peri-acetabular osteotomy

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Biomechanics
• Gait Analysis

Background:

• Adult hip dysplasia (AHD) is a common cause of hip pain in young adults, often leading to early degenerative changes due to increased hip-contact stress.
• While periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is known to improve acetabular orientation, reduce pain, and enhance function, objective functional alterations demonstrated through gait analysis are sparsely studied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively evaluate the walking patterns and assess the activity levels of patients undergoing periacetabular osteotomy for symptomatic adult hip dysplasia.

Main Methods:

• Gait analysis (GaitRite®) was used to assess walking velocity, cadence, stride length, and single-limb support in 27 patients post-PAO.
• Average daily steps were recorded for 26 patients over seven days.
• Secondary analysis reviewed disease-specific and generalized health status outcome measures.

Main Results:

• Post-PAO, a trend towards a 5% increase in walking velocity and a 4.5% increase in stride length was observed.
• Average daily steps decreased by 8.75% post-surgery.
• Significant improvements were noted in SF-36 Physical Component (PC) scores, WOMAC hip pain and function scores, and the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HHS).

Conclusions:

• Periacetabular osteotomy shows a trend toward improved walking velocity and a significant increase in stride length at an average of 11.5 months post-surgery.
• Short-term outcomes include significant pain relief and improved physical function.
• Further studies are needed to understand the long-term effects of PAO on patients with symptomatic hip dysplasia.