The first study of its kind has shown the speed at which a person walks following surgery to repair their ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) may provide valuable insights into how well their body is repairing the cartilage in their knee, and may also yield helpful clues regarding their future risk of developing osteoarthritis in the joint.
Approximately 250,000 Americans injure their ACL each year, with a large percentage electing to have subsequent ACL reconstruction surgery. Between 30% and 50% of those patients will develop posttraumatic knee osteoarthritis (OA) within 10-20 years of the surgery, partly related to changes in joint tissue biology following injury, as well as alterations in how the knee moves. Researchers have previously found that signs of abnormal or altered cartilage composition can be observed in those individuals in as little as 1-2 years following their injury using new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques.
The new study demonstrates that a patient’s walking speed has the potential to serve as a simple, feasible clinical measurement to assist in assessing their risk of developing knee osteoarthritis following surgery to reconstruct the ACL. One hypothesis is that patients who are at higher risk of developing osteoarthritis subconsciously slow their habitual walking speed in an effort to reduce the energy distributed through the knee tissue.
The study was conducted by UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center experts and affiliated faculty. Among the team members were Brian Pietrosimone, PhD; Steven Pfeiffer, Joanne Jordan, MD; Jeffrey T. Spang, MD; Stephen Marshall, PhD; as well as other research colleagues.
For more information, the study can be accessed via this link.