Trunk muscle action compensates for reduced quadriceps force during walking after total knee arthroplasty

Abstract

Patients with total knee arthroplasty (TKA) frequently exhibit changes in gait biomechanics post-surgery, including decreased ranges of joint motion and changes in joint loading; however, the actions of the lower-limb muscles in generating joint moments and accelerating the center of mass (COM) during walking are yet to be described. The aim of the present study was to evaluate differences in lower-limb joint kinematics, muscle-generated joint moments, and muscle contributions to COM accelerations in TKA patients and healthy age-matched controls when both groups walk at the same speed. Each TKA patient was fitted with a posterior-stabilized total knee replacement and underwent patellar resur..