Arthroplasty preoperative gait kinematic assessment and optimisation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Can preoperative gait kinematic assessment and optimisation hasten recovery and improve early outcomes in patients undergoing arthroplasty?
IRAS ID
321070
Contact name
Iain Mcnamara
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Norfolk & Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 28 days
Research summary
In the UK, success of total hip replacement (THR) or total knee replacement (TKR) replacements are measured using questionnaires. Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) which show an improvement of 96.5% for THR and 93.6% for TKR long term. However, improvements in quality of life are less apparent in the short term. This is multifactorial, and is likely due in part to gait kinematic abnormalities seen in many patients awaiting hip and knee arthroplasty.
People adapt their gait to avoid pain in the arthritic joint thereby creating abnormalities in their gait over time. Current practice aims to retrain patients to walk correctly following surgery, and strengthen weakened muscles. This retraining could begin prior to surgery, with a course of 'prehabilitation', which has been proven in studies to improve outcomes in the short/medium term. Despite this it does not routinely feature as a standard of care for arthroplasty in the NHS, due to cost and resource limitations.
GaitSmart is a wearable device that offers an objective analysis of gait kineatmics, and creates a personalised exercise program based on that data. We hope to use the GaitSmart device with patients awaiting arthroplasty, such that they receive a period of personalised prehabilitation not currently offered at our institution.
This study aims to assess the effect of the GaitSmart device with regards to:
-gait kinematics pre-and postop
-length of hospital stay
-patient reported outcome measures (pain, mobility, quality of life)
Efficacy of the intervention will be determined by comparing patient data in an intervention and control group from 12 weeks pre-surgery to 12 weeks post-surgery.
The intervention group will have a gait assessment using GaitSmart and receive the personalised exercise. The control group will have a gait assessment, but not receive results or the exercise regime.REC name
East of England - Cambridge East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/EE/0038
Date of REC Opinion
31 Mar 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion