Contribution of hip and knee muscles to lateral knee stability during gait.
Masayuki Kawada, Yasufumi Takeshita, Takasuke Miyazaki and 4 others
PMID 33281288WHAT IT FOUND
Lateral knee muscles and some hip muscles showed higher estimated force during walking when a knee model allowed sideways motion than when it did not.
This was in 15 healthy men and did not test patients or treatment.
Key findings
01During early stance, estimated forces of BFL, RF, and GMIN were higher in the 2-DOF knee model than in the 1-DOF knee model.
02During late stance, estimated forces of BFL, TFL, LG, GMEDA, GMIN, and ADDL were higher in the 2-DOF knee model, while MG force was lower.
03Estimated forces of SM, VM, VL, GMAX, and GMEDP were lower in the 2-DOF knee model than in the 1-DOF knee model.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Fifteen healthy young males were studied, not people with knee osteoarthritis or lateral knee instability. The knee model omitted ligaments and was not fully consistent with the real knee joint. Muscle forces were estimated by simulation and optimization, not directly measured in patients. The simulation used a simplified muscle model that did not account for how muscle force changes with length and speed. Only right-foot walking on a 9-m walkway at 100 steps/min was analyzed. The authors discuss strengthening and neuromuscular training, but no intervention was tested.
Declared interests
The authors received no funding for this study and declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that strengthening the lateral knee and hip muscles prevents knee osteoarthritis progression. The study estimated muscle forces in a computer model of 15 healthy young men walking, and it did not test an exercise program or knee osteoarthritis outcomes.