The gait deviations of ankylosing spondylitis with hip involvement

Objective The aim of the study was to investigate the gait deviations of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients with hip involvement. Methods Thirty-six subjects, including 18 AS patients with hip involvement (AS group) and 18 healthy people (control subjects, CS group), were enrolled in the study. Three-dimensional gait analysis of the AS group and CS group was performed. Kinematic parameters, kinetic parameters and surface electromyography (sEMG) during the gait cycle were measured. Results The AS patients with hip involvement had a lower gait velocity, shorter step length and shorter stride length. In the hip angles, there was significantly decreased flexion, excessive abduction and excessive external rotation; there was excessive flexion in the knee and reduction in plantar flexion of the ankle. AS patients had increased forward trunk flexion, excessive obliquity and restricted rotation of the trunk during the gait cycle. The hip moments of the AS group showed a significant reduction in flexion, abduction and external rotation during the gait cycle. The root mean square amplitude of the sEMG for the rectus femoris in the AS group was higher than that in the CS group. Conclusion The gait deviations in AS patients with hip involvement were described in this study. The gait analysis results demonstrated statistically significant alterations regarding the kinematic and kinetic gait parameters for the patients included in the sample. Coordination and balance were impaired by the disease. An efficient physical exercise plan can be formulated according to the results of gait analysis.