Consistency of Accelerometer-based Measurement of Knee Excursion and Visual Observation of Varus Thrust in Young Healthy Women

• Published in: Rigaku ryoho kagaku Vol. 33; no. 5; pp. 823 - 828
• Main Authors: WATANABE, Goro, KAMEI, Rika, HOSHI, Kenji, GAMADA, Kazuyoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: Tokyo The Society of Physical Therapy Science 2018; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: accelerator; Accelerometers; Knee; knee osteoarthritis; varus thrust
• ISSN: 1341-1667; 2434-2807
• DOI: 10.1589/rika.33.823

[Purpose] The objective of this study was to validate an accelerator-based measurement method of lateral knee excursion during three standing activities. [Participants and Methods] The subjects were nineteen healthy young women. For visual analysis of video images, the presence of varus thrust was identified during three motion tasks: free stepping, stepping with the knee fully extended, and squat. Accelerator-based measurement was also performed to determine lateral knee excursion during the same three tasks. An accelerometer was attached to the head of the fibula and a cut-off value was determined using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. [Results] During stepping with the knee fully extended, 9 of 19 knees demonstrated varus thrust in visual observation, and 11 of 19 knees demonstrated varus thrust in accelerometer-based measurements. Judgment of varus thrust agreed in 13 of 19 knees. [Conclusion] Determination of varus thrust in healthy young women differed slightly between the accelerometer-based and visual observation methods.