The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis of whether the center of rotation (COR) in the transverse plane of the knee is in the medial side during normal walking in a manner similar to that previously described during non-ambulatory activities. The kinematics for normal knees was obtained from 46 knees during normal walking using the point cluster technique. The center of rotation of the medial-lateral axis of the femur relative to the tibia was determined during the stance phase of walking. The hypothesis that the COR is in the medial side during stance was not supported by this study. The average center of rotation during the stance phase of walking was in the lateral compartment for all 46 knees. In addition, the instantaneous COR occurred on the medial side on average less than 25% of the time during the stance phase. Thus, while the COR is predominantly on the lateral side of the knee during walking, the normal function of the knee during walking is associated with both lateral and medial pivoting. These results also demonstrate the importance of describing knee kinematics in the context of a specific activity or the constraints of the test conditions.
Copyright remains with the authors and publisher.
The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis of whether the center of rotation (COR) in the transverse plane of the knee is in the medial side during normal walking in a manner similar to that previously described during non-ambulatory activities. The kinematics for normal knees was obtained from 46 knees during normal walking using the point cluster technique. The center of rotation of the medial-lateral axis of the femur relative to the tibia was determined during the stance phase of walking. The hypothesis that the COR is in the medial side during stance was not supported by this study. The average center of rotation during the stance phase of walking was in the lateral compartment for all 46 knees. In addition, the instantaneous COR occurred on the medial side on average less than 25% of the time during the stance phase. Thus, while the COR is predominantly on the lateral side of the knee during walking, the normal function of the knee during walking is associated with both lateral and medial pivoting. These results also demonstrate the importance of describing knee kinematics in the context of a specific activity or the constraints of the test conditions.
Copyright remains with the authors and publisher.