Gait kinetic characteristics of patients with isolated meniscal injury

Abstract

Background

Meniscal injury is a common knee disorder that may alter lower-limb loading patterns during walking and contribute to functional impairment and secondary joint degeneration. However, whether gait kinetic alterations differ across MRI-defined Stoller grades remains unclear.

Objective

To investigate the effects of isolated meniscal injuries of different Stoller grades on gait kinetics, focusing on ground reaction forces (GRF) and joint moments in both affected and contralateral limbs.

Methods

A total of 114 participants were categorized into three groups based on MRI findings: normal, Grade I–II, and Grade III. Three-dimensional gait analysis recorded GRF components and sagittal-plane joint moments. Multivariate analysis of covariance, adjusting for age and body mass index (BMI), followed by Bonferroni post hoc tests, was used to compare intergroup differences.

Results

There were significant differences in BMI and Lysholm scores between groups, and these factors were corrected in subsequent analyses. Compared with controls, patients with meniscal injury demonstrated altered GRF components (anterior, posterior, and lateral) and reduced ankle dorsiflexion, knee extension, and hip flexion/extension moments on the affected limb. Similar kinetic alterations were identified in the contralateral limb. Peak joint moments at the ankle, knee, and hip were significantly correlated with GRF parameters. No significant differences were detected between the Grade I–II and Grade III groups in any gait kinetic variables.

Conclusion

Gait kinetic alterations appear to be associated with the presence of meniscal injury rather than MRI-defined injury severity. These findings underscore the importance of functional gait assessment and support individualized rehabilitation strategies regardless of Stoller grade.