Kinematic changes associated with severity and symptoms of knee osteoarthritis

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K19411
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 59010:Rehabilitation science-related
• Research Institution: Kansai Medical University (2022-2023); Kobe University (2020-2021)
• Principal Investigator: YAMAGATA Momoko 関西医科大学, リハビリテーション学部, 助教 (50848223)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: Knee osteoarthritis

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Patients with knee osteoarthritis (knee OA) that would lead to future surgery used compensatory gait patterns to prevent a large loading of the knee joint during gait, whereas a detailed evaluation revealed that the mechanical loading was concentrated and sustained on a localized area of the knee joint during gait. In addition, as we explored sensitive indices related to early cartilage degeneration in healthy older adults and patients with early knee OA, cartilage degeneration was correlated with the distribution, not the amount, of mechanical loading on the knee joint. Specifically, participants with a medial shift of knee joint compression forces during gait exhibited more severe cartilage degeneration. Further research such as longitudinal studies would be needed to show the usefulness of the index.

Free Research Field

Biomechanics

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

変形性膝関節症（膝OA）は日常生活で膝関節へ繰り返しかかる力学的負荷によって進行する疾患であり、この力学的負荷を詳細に評価することは予防的・治療的な観点から重要である。従来の方法に加え、本研究では筋骨格モデルによって膝関節の力学的負荷をより詳細に評価した。その結果、従来の指標よりも力学的負荷の移動量や内側偏移が将来の手術リスクや早期の軟骨変性をより捉えられる可能性を明らかにした。これまで検出が困難であった早期膝OA患者においてもこの指標が有用である可能性が示され、今後、関節構造変化の少ない段階での早期のOA検出や適切な治療法確立に有益な指標となることが期待される。