The changes in gait parameters in medial compartment osteoarthritis knee patients after proximal fibular osteotomy

Abstract

Proximal fibular osteotomy (PFO) is relatively newer surgery in field of osteoarthritis (OA) knee. Effect of PFO over gait in OA knee patients have not been studied in any known set up yet. Aim of this study was to assess the effect of PFO by instrumented gait analysis in medial compartment OA knee patients. From 2019 to 2020, 22 patients with grade 2 and 3 (Kellgren Lawrence grade) medial compartment OA knee, without having any symptomatic relief by conservative measure, were enrolled for PFO. Pre-operative fitness was obtained before surgery and patients were studied prospectively. After PFO, patients were advised to walk on 2nd post op day onwards and follow up was done at end of 2nd week and 4th week. Patients were assessed by instrumented gait analysis at pre-operative and 4 week post-operative follow up. Most patients had significant changes in observed gait parameters (reduced varum angle peak in stance, reduced step width, increased cadence, reduced first peak appearance time of vertical Ground Reaction Force) after PFO due to biomechanical changes around knee. PFO is an emerging, low cost, safer surgery with lesser hospital stay. It reduces symptoms in medial OA knee patients by improving the biomechanical alignment, reflected in changes of gait parameters. [J Med Allied Sci 2021; 11(1): 33-39]

Keywords

• gait analysis
• ground reaction force
• medial compartment oa knee
• osteoarthritis
• proximal fibular osteotomy
• varus angle