Gait Parameters of Women Before Knee Joint Arthritis-Analysis Using the MoKA System

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation Engineering

Background:

• Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) severely impacts quality of life, primarily through locomotion deficits.
• Objective gait parameter assessment is crucial for designing effective therapeutic interventions.
• Wearable sensor technology offers non-laboratory gait analysis solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine gait parameters in women with KOA awaiting knee replacement surgery.
• To assess the measurement reliability of the Movement Kinematics Analysis System (MoKA) for gait analysis.
• To correlate gait parameters with pain intensity and functional capacity.

Main Methods:

• Seventy-six women (25 KOA, 51 controls) participated.
• Gait was monitored using the MoKA system during the 6-minute walk test (6MWT).
• Pain intensity, distance, and step count were recorded and analyzed.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in pain intensity (p < 0.001) were observed before and after the 6MWT.
• KOA patients exhibited reduced walking distance and step count compared to controls.
• Higher pain intensity correlated negatively with distance and step count (R = -0.44).
• MoKA system demonstrated good internal consistency and moderate-to-excellent measurement reliability (ICC).

Conclusions:

• The MoKA system, utilizing Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), provides reliable gait parameter assessment in non-laboratory settings.
• Women with KOA awaiting total knee replacement exhibit flattened and slowed gait patterns.
• These findings can guide the selection of postoperative exercises to optimize gait biomechanics.