Three-dimensional motion of the knee-joint complex during normal walking revealed by mobile biplane x-ray imaging

Abstract

Accurate knowledge of knee kinematics is important for a better understanding of normal joint function and for improving patient outcomes subsequent to joint reconstructive surgery. Limited information is available that accurately describes the relative movements of the bones at the knee in vivo, even for the most common of all activities: walking. We used a mobile X-ray imaging system to measure the three-dimensional motion of the entire knee-joint complex—femur, tibia, and patella—when humans walk over ground at their natural speeds. Data were recorded from 15 healthy individuals (9 males, 6 females; age 30.5 ± 6.2 years). The most pronounced rotational motion of the tibia was flexion-exte..