Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 89, Issue 8 , Pages 1528-1534, August 2008

Accuracy of Partial Weight Bearing After Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation

Presented to the World Congress of the International Cartilage Repair Society, September 30, 2007, in Warsaw, Poland.

  • Jay R. Ebert, PhD

      Affiliations

    • School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests to Jay R. Ebert, PhD, School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Pkwy Entrance 3, Perth, 6009, Australia
  • ,
  • Timothy R. Ackland, PhD, FASMF

      Affiliations

    • School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
  • ,
  • David G. Lloyd, PhD

      Affiliations

    • School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
  • ,
  • David J. Wood, MS, FRCS, FRACS

      Affiliations

    • School of Surgery and Pathology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.

Abstract 

Ebert JR, Ackland TR, Lloyd DG, Wood DJ. Accuracy of partial weight bearing after autologous chondrocyte implantation.

Objective

To determine whether patients can accurately replicate and retain weight-bearing restrictions in both stationary (static) and dynamic conditions after autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI).

Design

Case series.

Setting

Rehabilitation clinic.

Participants

A consecutive sample of patients (N=48) who had undergone ACI to a medial or lateral femoral condylar defect in the knee.

Interventions

Patients were trained to partially weight bear using bathroom scales and forearm crutches prior to assessment.

Main Outcome Measures

A force platform was used to measure peak vertical ground reaction forces in patients during static and dynamic conditions immediately after weight-bearing instruction and training, and again during gait 7 days after training.

Results

Immediately after instruction and weight-bearing practice on a set of scales, patients exerted a mean of 15.8% body weight more than expected during walking for 20% weight-bearing trials, 8.3% more for the 40% trials, 11.9% more for the 60% trials, and 1.2% less for the prescribed 80% trials. Accuracy of weight-bearing replication improved across all weight-bearing levels when assessed 7 days later, when patients exerted a mean of 6.6% body weight more than expected during walking for 20% weight-bearing trials (9.2% body weight improvement), 4.2% more for the 40% trials (4.1% body weight improvement), 9.9% more for the 60% trials (2% body weight improvement), and 0.2% more for the 60% trials (1% body weight improvement).

Conclusions

Patients were unable to follow weight-bearing restrictions after instruction and practice on a set of scales, and patients were unable to replicate weight-bearing levels in both static and dynamic conditions.

Key Words: Rehabilitation, Weight-bearing

List of Abbreviations: ACI, autologous chondrocyte implantation, BW, body weight, PWB, partial weight bearing

 

 Supported by the Hollywood Private Hospital Research Foundation (grant nos. RF16, RF31), the National Health and Medical Research Council (grant no. ID254622), University of Western Australia (2007 Whitfeld Fellowship).No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on the authors or on any organization with which the authors are associated.

PII: S0003-9993(08)00349-3

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2008.02.019

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 89, Issue 8 , Pages 1528-1534, August 2008