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In Vivo Gait Analysis During Bone Transport
J Mora-Macías1, E Reina-Romo, J Morgaz
1Department of Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing, University of Seville, 41092, Seville, Spain, juanmora@us.es.
Annals of Biomedical Engineering
|February 5, 2015
Summary
Gait analysis offers a novel, non-invasive method to monitor bone healing and distraction osteogenesis. This technique quantifies limb loading, aiding in determining optimal fixator removal times.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Biomechanics
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Load-bearing capacity is crucial for assessing bone maturation during distraction osteogenesis and bone healing.
- Current methods for monitoring bone healing can be invasive or require specialized equipment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the utility of gait analysis as a non-invasive method for evaluating bone healing and distraction osteogenesis.
- To correlate gait parameters with bone maturation and ossification during the healing process.
Main Methods:
- Gait analysis was performed on sheep undergoing bone transport.
- Ground reaction forces were measured using a force platform to calculate peak vertical force, mean vertical force, and impulse during the stance phase.
- Radiographs were used to assess the level of ossification in the callus.
Main Results:
- Gait parameters decreased in the limb undergoing intervention and increased in contralateral limbs due to fixator implantation.
- Gait parameters progressively normalized, approaching values observed in healthy animals.
- Radiographic analysis indicated increasing ossification within the callus during the study period.
Conclusions:
- Gait analysis shows promise as an alternative, quantitative method for monitoring distraction osteogenesis and bone healing.
- This technique may help determine optimal timing for fixator removal, offering advantages over existing methods due to its non-invasive nature and lack of need for instrumented fixators.
