Effects Of 6-month Tai Ji Quan Training On Gait Stability In Female Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

PurposeTo investigate the effects of Tai Ji Quan training on functional walking ability and gait stability in patients with knee osteoarthritis, and to explore the application of3 D rigid body model in evaluation of walking stability of knee osteoarthritis patients.MethodsVolunteers aged above 60 years old were recruited. After exclusion, those who met the inclusion criteria of knee osteoarthritis were randomly divided into Taiji Group and Control Group. The Taiji Group conducted Tai Ji Quan training 3 times per week for 6 months, while the Control Group was educated with health seminars 1time bi-week. We didn’t interfere with the original drug habits and customs during the mission. Before and after the intervention, all subjects in two groups were tested by timed "get up and go" test, and the three-dimensional gait kinematics and dynamics data at 6 characteristic moment during left single support phase were acquisited in the laboratory environment.By using the 3D dynamic model of rigid body,we caculated the destabilizing force at these 6 moment(from left to right foot. right knee flexion angle,foot ground reaction force of the first peak, left foot ground reaction force is minimum, the left foot ground reaction force of the second peak, right foot again before) based on the kinematics and dynamics data, so that we could assess the walking stability quantitatively.Results1. Effects of 6-month Tai Ji Quan training on functional walking ability in patients with knee osteoarthritis1.1 After 6-month Tai Ji Quan training, the score of timed "get up and go" test in taiji group improved significantly, while no change is observed in the control group.1.2 Before and after the intervention, there is no significant difference between the two groups, and no interaction was observed between variable.2. Effects of 6-month Tai Ji Quan training on walking dynamic stability characteristic in patients with knee osteoarthritis2.1 Significant enhancement on walking dynamic stability was observed in taiji group after 6-month intervention,while no change happened in the control group.2.2 Compared with the control group, the Tai Ji Quan training can increase the destabilizing force more, that is to say, the Tai Ji Quan training can effectively enhance the dynamic stability of the subjects.3. Correlation analysis of changes in function walking ability and improvement in walking dynamic stabilityThere was a moderate correlation between the changes in the value of destabilizing force at the maximum flexion of right knee moment and changes in the score of timed "get up and go" test.Conclusion(1)6-month Tai Ji Quan training can significantly improve the function walking ability in patients with knee osteoarthritis;(2)Destabilizing force in the dynamic three-dimensional rigid body model can be used to evaluate the dynamic stability in patients with knee osteoarthritis;(3) 6-month Tai Ji Quan training can significantly improve the dynamic stability in patients with knee osteoarthritis;(4)Tai Ji Quan is beneficial to disease management of knee osteoarthritis, and maybe can significantly reduce the risk of falls in patients...