Analyzing the Movement of the Lower Extremity during Walking by Juvenile Patients Suffering from Chronic Sports Knee Injury in Knee Extensor Mechanism Using Accelerometer

抄録

[Purpose] In the present study, gait analysis was conducted using a compact accelerometer for analyzing the peak acceleration value of the lower extremity during walking by juvenile patients suffering from chronic sports knee injury to the knee extensor mechanism, through lower extremity malalignment and other causes. [Subjects] The painful knees group included 13 subjects with 13 lower extremities, while the control group included 12 subjects with 12 lower extremities and normal healthy lumbar regions and lower extremity. [Methods] We mounted a tri-axial accelerometer on the lateral malleolus ankle joint and the head of the fibula. The peak acceleration values of the forward and backward components, perpendicular component and mediolateral component during the stance phase were analyzed from acceleration waveforms. [Results] Backward-peak and revised medial-peak of the sensor mounted on the head of the fibula and lateral-peak of the sensor mounted on the lateral malleolus ankle joint were significantly large in the painful knees group as compared to the control group. [Conclusion] Significant increase in peak acceleration as observed in the painful knees group shows that strong stress is generated in the forward-backward and mediolateral directions in knee joints. This is in agreement with the condition of dynamic malalignment such as varus-valgus movements of knee joints, which are considered to be the causes of knee extensor mechanism disorders.