Abnormal walking patterns after knee replacement surgery may lead to a second surgery on the other knee within 5 years for up to one-fourth of patients, Rutgers University researchers suggest.

Therefore, they add, the goal of postoperative rehabilitation after a knee replacement surgery should be to normalize the gait pattern in order to reduce the need for a second surgery on the other knee.

“If we can change the way someone moves or improve their walking ability after surgery while also reducing the need for a second knee replacement, we may also be able to reduce healthcare costs and other issues that arise with having to undergo surgery,” says lead author Joseph Zeni, an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Sciences at Rutgers School of Health Professions, in a media release.

The study, which appears in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research, looked at whether movement patterns after total knee replacement surgery were associated with future surgery as a result of unbalanced movement that put more pressure on the other knee.

It found that many people do not regain normal movement in their operated knee when walking and continue to walk with a stiffer knee after surgery. This means they may rely more heavily on the good knee for support. This can put more pressure on the good knee and cause the cartilage to wear away, increasing the risk of future surgery.

“Often surgeons, patients and therapists are concerned with restoring normal range of motion and reducing pain after surgery,” Zeni states. “Our results suggest that normalizing movement patterns, so that one leg is not favored over another ,should also be a goal of postoperative rehabilitation.”

Zeni is currently testing technologies, such as movement sensors, that may provide a better picture of how patients move in real-world situations. Monitoring patient movements outside of research laboratories will help researchers more accurately measure biomechanics, potentially changing the way people look at and undergo joint replacement surgery and post-operative rehabilitation, he continues, in the release.

[Source(s): Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Newswise]