Gait Characteristics of Patients with Symptomatic Cartilage Lesions of the Knee

Introduction: Little is known about the impact of articular cartilage lesions on knee joint biomechanics. Objectives: This investigation aimed to determine the gait characteristics of patients with symptomatic articular cartilage defects of the knee. Methods: Gait analyses were performed at a regional joint preservation center. Assessments were completed on a treadmill with a 15-camera 3D motion-capture system. Participants walked for 2 minutes at a self-selected speed at 0° inclination. The resulting kinematic and spatiotemporal parameters were averaged across 20 consecutive gait cycles. Paired t tests or Wilcoxon ranked tests were performed on the data to compare biomechanical parameters between knees (α = 0.05). Results: Patients (n = 30) walked at an average speed of 3.0 ± 0.7 km/h with a cadence of 60.4 ± 16.2 steps/min. Step lengths were comparable between limbs (P = .595). Maximum flexion during swing did not differ between knees (P = .507), but were lower than previously reported healthy adults. In the frontal plane, both knees remained in adduction throughout the gait cycle (P = .385). The maximal adduction reported in both knees were greater than previously reported for healthy adults. Maximal internal-external rotation patterns were comparable in stance (P = .475) and swing (P = .762) and to previous literature. Conclusions: Gait characteristics were generally comparable between injured and contralateral knees of patients with symptomatic cartilage lesions of the knee. However, some parameters of gait in the sagittal and frontal plane were pathological when compared to previously published data from healthy adults.