Assessing Knee Joint Loading Patterns During Gait in People Post-Stroke
Session Number
1
Advisor(s)
Dr. Russell Johnson PhD, Northwestern University Prosthetics-Orthotics Center
Location
A129
Discipline
Medical and Health Sciences
Start Date
15-4-2026 10:15 AM
End Date
15-4-2026 11:00 AM
Abstract
Post-stroke neuromuscular impairments can alter gait patterns, leading to aberrant knee joint loading. Changes in knee loads can result in cartilage damage and joint pain, which is associated with a reduction in mobility and greater risk for developing osteoarthritis that can inhibit activities of daily living. Using musculoskeletal models in OpenSim, we estimated knee joint compressive loads for control (N=8) and post-stroke (N=3) subjects walking at self-selected speeds. We hypothesized that knee loads would be greater on the non-paretic limb than the paretic limb in individuals post-stroke due to an overreliance to support body weight on the unaffected limb. Our preliminary results suggest that knee joint loads are greater in control subjects than people post-stroke, likely explained by faster walking speeds in the control group. Surprisingly, in people post-stroke, there were no significant differences in the peak knee joint loads between limbs, possibly attributable to the small sample size. Our future research intends to analyze the rest of the subjects and include speed-matched trials. Overall, this work helps to address a critical knowledge gap in post-stroke gait rehabilitation and provide a foundation for assessing factors that increase the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis or knee pain following stroke.
Assessing Knee Joint Loading Patterns During Gait in People Post-Stroke
A129
Post-stroke neuromuscular impairments can alter gait patterns, leading to aberrant knee joint loading. Changes in knee loads can result in cartilage damage and joint pain, which is associated with a reduction in mobility and greater risk for developing osteoarthritis that can inhibit activities of daily living. Using musculoskeletal models in OpenSim, we estimated knee joint compressive loads for control (N=8) and post-stroke (N=3) subjects walking at self-selected speeds. We hypothesized that knee loads would be greater on the non-paretic limb than the paretic limb in individuals post-stroke due to an overreliance to support body weight on the unaffected limb. Our preliminary results suggest that knee joint loads are greater in control subjects than people post-stroke, likely explained by faster walking speeds in the control group. Surprisingly, in people post-stroke, there were no significant differences in the peak knee joint loads between limbs, possibly attributable to the small sample size. Our future research intends to analyze the rest of the subjects and include speed-matched trials. Overall, this work helps to address a critical knowledge gap in post-stroke gait rehabilitation and provide a foundation for assessing factors that increase the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis or knee pain following stroke.