Acute effect of partial body weight suspension on the level of cocontraction and gait biomechanics in women with knee osteoarthritis

Abstract Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis (OAK) is one of the most prevalent rheumatic diseases in the population, characterized by functional limitation and gait difficulties with profound clinical relevance, as walking is the most frequently performed daily activity. These functional limitations may be more pronounced when the disease is associated with obesity. Objective: To investigate the effect of different body weight suspension percentages on gait biomechanical variables and co-contraction percentages in women with OAK. Method: Fourteen women aged 50-75 years, with a body mass index between 26 and 35 and radiological diagnosis of OAK participated in the study. On the first day, anamnesis and familiarization with gait on the treadmill was performed. On the second day, treadmill gait assessment was performed using partial body weight support (SPPC) in three conditions-15%, 30%, and 45% suspension. During the evaluation, electromyographic and kinematic data were collected. The variables analyzed were percentage of hip (gluteus maximus/rectus femoris), knee (femoral biceps/vastus lateralis), and ankle (anterior tibial/lateral gastrocnemius), and length and step widths. A one-way analysis of variance was conducted, with a significance level of p

引言与摘要：膝骨关节炎（Knee osteoarthritis, OAK）是人群中最常见的风湿性疾病之一，以功能受限与步态障碍为主要临床表现，具有重要临床意义——步行是人类日常活动中频次最高的一项。当该疾病合并肥胖时，此类功能受限症状可进一步加重。研究目的：探讨不同体重悬吊百分比对膝骨关节炎女性患者步态生物力学指标及肌群共收缩百分比的影响。研究方法：本研究共纳入14名女性受试者，年龄介于50~75岁，体重指数（Body Mass Index, BMI）为26~35，且经影像学确诊为膝骨关节炎。实验首日，研究者完成受试者的病史采集，并使其熟悉跑步机步态训练流程。实验次日，采用三种不同悬吊比例的部分体重减重支持（Partial Body Weight Support, SPPC）方案开展跑步机步态评估，分别为15%、30%与45%体重悬吊。评估过程中，同步采集肌电与运动学数据。本次分析的指标包括：髋关节肌群（臀大肌/股直肌，Gluteus Maximus/Rectus Femoris）、膝关节肌群（股二头肌/股外侧肌，Femoral Biceps/Vastus Lateralis）与踝关节肌群（胫骨前肌/腓肠肌外侧头，Anterior Tibial/Lateral Gastrocnemius）的共收缩百分比，以及步长与步宽。本研究采用单因素方差分析进行统计检验，显著性水平设定为p