Weakening iliopsoas muscle in healthy adults may induce stiff knee pattern

Abstract

ObjectiveThe goal of the present study was to investigate the relationship between iliopsoas muscle group weakness and related hip joint velocity reduction and stiff-knee gait (SKG) during walking in healthy individuals.MethodsA load of 5% of each individual's body weight was placed on non-dominant thigh of 15 neurologically intact, able-bodied participants (average age: 22.4 ± 0.81 years). For 33 min (135 s × 13 repetitions × 5 s rest), a passive stretch (PS) was applied with the load in place until hip flexor muscle strength dropped from 5/5 to 3+/5 according to manual muscle test. All participants underwent gait analysis before and after PS to compare sagittal plane hip, knee, and ankle kinematics and kinetics and temporo–spatial parameters. Paired t-test was used to compare pre- and post-stretch findings and Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was calculated to determine strength of correlation between SKG parameters and gait parameters of interest (p < 0.05).ResultsReduced hip flexion velocity (mean: 21.5%; p = 0.005) was a contributor to SKG, decreasing peak knee flexion (PKF) (−20%; p = 0.0008), total knee range (−18.9%; p = 0.003), and range of knee flexion between toe-off and PKF (−26.7%; p = 0.001), and shortening duration between toe-off to PKF (−16.3%; p = 0.0005).ConclusionThese findings verify that any treatment protocol that slows hip flexion during gait by weakening iliopsoas muscle may have great potential to produce SKG pattern combined with reduced gait velocity.

Lumbar posterior group muscle degeneration: Influencing factors of adjacent vertebral body re-fracture after percutaneous vertebroplasty

“…The deep multifidus and the superficial erector spine muscle play an important role in the stability of the trunk ( 36 ). If they degenerate, it will lead to the imbalance of the spine in the sagittal position ( 37 , 38 ), leading to the forward shift of the whole center of gravity and the compensatory increase of the oblique angle of the pelvis ( 39 ). The asymmetric distribution of multifidus is a risk factor for degenerative spondylolisthesis ( 40 ).…”

Classification of Stiff-Knee Gait Kinematic Severity after Stroke Using Retrospective k-Means Clustering Algorithm

“…It may result from a decrease in the ankle moment generated by the plantar flexor muscles [ 55 ] or in the peak of vertical acceleration of the lateral malleolus [ 8 ]. Finally, a third possible origin to SKG is the weakness of the hip flexor muscles [ 14 , 56 ]. In our results, the decrease in KFV was confirmed, as well as a decrease in mean ankle plantarflexion velocity in the preswing phase (MAVP).…”

Inertial Sensor-Based Gait and Attractor Analysis as Clinical Measurement Tool: Functionality and Sensitivity in Healthy Subjects and Patients With Symptomatic Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

“…Factors that could contribute to the large variability include parameters that cannot be influenced such as sex or body height and parameters that can be modified such as body mass or parameters of neuromuscular performance (e.g., muscle strength or muscle coordination). For instance, Akalan et al ( 2016 ) have shown that iliopsoas muscle group weakness resulted in related hip joint velocity reduction and stiff-knee gait during walking in healthy persons. However, the paradigm of a unique “foot acceleration print” similar to the previously proposed gait print (Broscheid et al, 2018 ) warrants further investigation.…”