Relationship between Walking Ability and Lower Limb and Trunk Function of Elderly Patients after Total Knee Arthroplasty

[Purpose] To investigate the relationship between walking ability and trunk and lower limb joint function of elderly Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) patients. [Participants and Methods] The participants were 22 early- and 36 late-elderly patients who had undergone TKA. Walking ability was assessed using the 10m walking time and figure-8 walking time, trunk function using the Trunk Righting Test (TRT) and the end-sitting Lateral Reach Test, and lower limb joint function using the time required to hold a standing position on one leg, pain, muscle strength (knee extension and hip abduction), and joint range of motion (knee flexion and extension, hip adduction), and multiple regression analysis was performed. [Results] For the early-stage elderly patients, the operative side hip abduction muscle strength, pain at rest, and knee flexion range of motion were found to be factors of both the 10m and figure-8 walking times. For the late-elderly patients, the time to hold a standing position on one leg, knee extensor strength, and knee extension range of motion were found to be factors of both the 10m and figure-8 walking times, and bilateral TRT was also a factor of the figure-8 walk time. [Conclusion] The results suggest that both trunk and lower limb functions affect the ability to walk in the later stages of life.