J023015 Clarification of the optimal walking form in water for the patients of knee osteoarthritis

Abstract

The objective of this study was to clarify the optimal form of walking in water for the patients of knee osteoarthritis. By our developed simulation model SWUM, joint torques and joint forces in the lower limb considering the fluid force in sagittal plane were calculated. From joint torques calculated by SWUM, the muscle forces in the lower limb were calculated using a two-dimensional musculoskeletal model. In addition, the knee joint force considering the muscle tension was calculated as the sum of the knee joint force calculated by SWUM and muscle forces. By maximizing the exertion of quadriceps under the constraint of the knee joint force, we obtained the optimal walking form in water for the patients of knee osteoarthritis. The optimal form had that flexing the hip and knee joints in latter half of the swing phase. By flexing the hip and knee joints simultaneously, fluid drag acting on the lower limb was reduced. This helped to reduce the knee joint force.