The contralateral knee may not be a valid control for biomechanical outcomes after unilateral total knee arthroplasty

Abstract Background Although unilateral symptoms and unilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are common, many patients have bilateral radiographic osteoarthritis (OA). Because the contralateral (non-operated) limb is often used as a comparison for clinical and biomechanical outcomes, it is important to know if the presence of OA influences movement patterns in either limb. Research question The purpose of this study was to compare bilateral sagittal plane biomechanics between subjects with and without contralateral knee OA after unilateral TKA. Methods Fifty-three subjects who underwent unilateral TKA underwent three-dimensional gait analysis 6–24 months after surgery participated in this cross-sectional study. Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) OA severity in the contralateral limb was measured, and subjects were classified into either a non-OA (KL 0 or 1) or OA (KL 2–4) group. Mixed-model ANOVA tests with factors of group and limb were used to compare biomechanical measures. In the presence of a significant interaction effect, post-hoc comparisons were performed. Results The OA group had more knee flexion at initial contact, less knee flexion and extension excursions, and less knee extension in the contralateral limb compared to the non-OA group. The non-OA group had significant differences between limbs, with more knee flexion at initial contact, less knee joint excursion, and less peak knee extension on the operated limb compared to the contralateral limb, whereas there were no limb differences for the OA group. Kinetic variables were not different in the ANOVA models. Significance and interpretation Subjects with contralateral knee OA have more symmetrical gait, although they adopt a more abnormal and stiff-legged gait pattern bilaterally. Researchers and clinicians should consider radiographic disease severity, not just symptoms, in the contralateral limb when identifying appropriate subject samples for unilateral biomechanical studies. Symmetrical movement patterns between limbs after surgery should not be the sole factor upon which movement recovery is based.