Severe hip osteoarthritis is known to lead to secondary osteoarthritis of the knee joint. It is not clear whether contracture or a leg length discrepancy is more important in determining the knee alignment.In this study, 48 hips in 48 patients with a unilateral completely dislocated hip (Crowe IV) were recruited. The patients were divided into two groups (Crowe IVa and IVb). The Crowe IVa group had completely dislocation with psudo-articulation, and the Crowe IVb group had completely dislocation without psudo-articulation. The lower limb alignment was divided into three patterns according to the femorotibial angle; varus (≥176 degrees), neutral(170 to 175 degrees) and valgus(≤169 degrees).The combination of valgus alignment on the affected side and varus alignment on the unaffected side, so-called "windswept deformity" was observed in 12.5% of the patients; this included 18.2% and 7.7%, in the Crowe IVa and Crowe IVb groups, respectively. The valgus alignment on the unaffected side, namely "long leg arthropathy," was found to have occurred in 6.3% of the patients, including 13.6% of the patients in the Crowe IVa group; there were no cases of long "leg arthropathy" in the Crowe IVb group.The lower limb alignment on the unaffected side had a tendency to be varus in the Crowe IV patients. The "windswept deformity" was observed in each of the groups; however, "long leg arthropathy" was only found in the Crowe IVa group.
There is insufficient evidence regarding the precise levels of physical activity (PA) in older patients following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The aims of this study were (1) to describe the changes in the amount and intensity of PA before and after TKA with an accelerometer in older patients, compared with age- and sex-matched healthy participants and (2) to assess the effect of TKA on PA depending on age.Sixty-six primary TKA patients aged 60 years or over (mean age, 73.3 years) wore an accelerometer (Lifecorder EX) for 10 consecutive days and completed the Oxford Knee Score (OKS) before and at 6 months after TKA. PA was evaluated by mean step count and time spent (min) engaged in PA per day. PA intensity was classified as light (1.5-3 metabolic equivalents (METs)), moderate to vigorous (≥3 METs), and total (≥1.5 METs). Sixty-four healthy participants completed a single assessment of PA.Each of the PA measures and OKS increased significantly after TKA. Compared with healthy controls, light and total PA improved to 100% at 6 months after TKA in patients 75 years or older. By contrast, moderate-to-vigorous PA was 32% of that of the controls and rose to 78% after TKA. PA intensity in patients aged 60-74 years was 31-74% of the controls but did not reach the same level after TKA.TKA in older patients increases the amount of PA, with light and total PA suitable parameters for assessing PA.
The ubiquity of osteoarthritis (OA) in human knees has been intensified among the ageing society of the world. The intention of this work is to assess the impact of the ageing on lower limb muscles associated with OA knees through sit-stand-sit movements. Out of total eighty-four participants, 51 healthy and 33 OA patients participated in the research. Surface EMG technique was used to investigate the activities of the vastus lateralis (VL), rectus femoris (RF), vastus medialis (VM), and the medial head of the gastrocnemius (MHGM) with the increase of age. Healthy participants were classified into three groups based on their age. Jarque-Bera normality test and independent t-test were performed for statistical clarifications. Muscle activities of the middle age and older people were found noticeably higher and lower compare to that of the young and OA group respectively. The quadricep muscles were found to contribute more than the calf muscle.
