Canine intersegmental hip joint forces and moments before and after cemented total hip replacement

Intersegmental forces and moments (i.e. resultant free body forces and moments computed at the joint centers) were studied in canine hindlimbs before and after cemented total hip replacement (THR). Five large, adult, mixed-breed dogs were selected. Their gait was recorded (while leash-walked) before surgery using high-speed cinematography and a force plate. Cemented total hip replacement was unilaterally performed on each dog. Gait was again recorded at one and four months after surgery. Segmental properties (mass, center of mass, and mass moment of inertia) of the hindlimbs were experimentally determined, and an inverse dynamics approach was used to compute intersegmental forces and moments in the sagittal plane. Significant reductions in intersegmental joint forces and moments were observed in the operated hindlimb one month after surgery, although kinematic gait parameters were unaltered. Decreases of 77.0% for vertical forces, 61.9% for craniocaudal forces, and 66.2% for extension moments were determined. Four months after surgery, the joint forces and moments had returned to their preoperative values. This experiment demonstrates that the dynamics of normal walking can be restored in a canine model by four months after THR. It also shows that kinetic (rather than kinematic) parameters are more descriptive of antalgic gait in the canine.