Trunk lean gait decreases multi-segmental coordination in the vertical direction.
Kazuki Tokuda, Masaya Anan, Tomonori Sawada and 6 others
PMID 29200629WHAT IT FOUND
In healthy adults, trunk lean gait reduced coordination stabilizing vertical body motion, while lowering a knee load measure.
It was not tested in knee osteoarthritis, so do not assume benefit for patients.
Key findings
01During the first half of stance, the coordination index for vertical body movement was lower with trunk lean gait (1.6 ± 0.3) than with normal gait (1.9 ± 0.4).
02Trunk lean gait produced a larger trunk lean angle (11.0 ± 1.0° vs 1.0 ± 1.5°) and a lower knee load measure (0.4 ± 0.1 N m/kg vs 0.6 ± 0.1 N m/kg).
03Trunk lean gait did not improve the coordination index for side-to-side body movement, and it did not differ significantly between conditions.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 15 healthy young adults, not people with knee osteoarthritis, so it cannot show what trunk lean gait does in patients. It measured lab gait with real-time visual feedback and a target trunk lean angle, not everyday walking or clinical outcomes such as pain or function. The analysis focused on the right stance phase and five trials closest to the target angle. The paper does not report whether the walking conditions were randomized, blinded, or presented in a fixed order.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that trunk lean gait is safe or effective for patients with knee osteoarthritis. The study was done in 15 healthy young adults and measured lab gait, not symptoms or function in osteoarthritis.