Joint Action

How knee pain from osteoarthritis changes the way you walk with Dr. Kathryn Bacon and Associate Professor Deepak Kumar

Jul 7, 2024

Dr. Kathryn Bacon and Prof. Deepak Kumar discuss how knee osteoarthritis affects walking patterns, highlighting changes like slower pace, reduced steps, and increased muscle activity. They share insights from a study tracking 2,500 participants and how alterations in gait can indicate worsening pain and knee function. The podcast explores potential implications for research and treatment, emphasizing the use of sensors to monitor walking patterns in daily life.

27:39

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Episode guests

Kathryn Bacon

Associate Professor Deepak Kumar

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Quick takeaways

Osteoarthritis leads to varied gait changes, including slower speeds and asymmetry in walking patterns.

Monitoring gait alterations with sensors can aid in understanding pain progression and optimizing osteoarthritis treatment.

Deep dives

Gait Changes in Osteoarthritis

In osteoarthritis, individuals may experience slower walking speeds, changes in stride length, reduced joint motion, and asymmetry in walking. Factors contributing to gait changes include chronic knee pain, reduced knee motion, increased muscle activity, and varus thrust. Studies indicate that gait alterations are variable among patients based on pain severity, affected knee regions, and activity levels.

Intro

3min

Gait Analysis and Osteoarthritis Research

11min

Analyzing the Impact of Knee Pain on Walking Patterns and Function

4min

Interventions for Knee Osteoarthritis and Gait Analysis

6min

Managing Walking Limitations in Osteoarthritis Patients

7min

In this week's episode, we explore how knee osteoarthritis affects the way people walk. Experts Dr. Kathryn Bacon and Associate Professor Deepak Kumar from Boston University explain that osteoarthritis impacts everyone differently, but common changes include walking slower, taking fewer steps per minute, and experiencing more muscle activity and pressure on certain parts of the knee. Join them as they reveal findings from one of their recent major studies, in which 2,500 participants wore sensors to track their walking patterns. Interestingly, the data from the study showed that changes in walking speed, step length, and symmetry can be linked to worsening pain and knee function over time.

Importantly, we also discuss how this research can help doctors understand osteoarthritis better and develop new ways to monitor and treat it, using simple sensors to track walking patterns in everyday life.

Tune in to learn more about how osteoarthritis impacts walking and the implications for future research and treatment.

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