Aim: Limb-preserving surgery is the most common therapeutic approach in cases of malignant bone tumours near the knee joint. Although good functional results have been reported for tumours located in the distal femur, tumours in the proximal tibia have been investigated less frequently. The objective of the current study was to compare the kinematic gait patterns in patients with tumours in the femur vs. the tibia.
Method: 11 patients with an arthroplasty after a primary malignant bone tumour were included (5 femur, 6 tibia). Their speed-specific kinematic gait patterns were quantified. 10 healthy volunteers and 6 patients with normal knee arthroplasty served as a reference group.
Results: The tibia patients walked significantly more slowly than the femur patients. They showed a similar overall gait pattern predominantly characterised by a hyperextended knee during stance.
Conclusion: The differences in walking speed between the two groups of tumour patients did not transfer to different gait patterns. Limb-preserving surgery is thus a valuable therapeutic option also for patients with primary tumours in the tibia.