How Accurate Is Partial Weightbearing?

The accuracy of partial weightbearing was assessed in six healthy volunteers and 23 patients who had sustained either a fracture of a lower limb or surgery. They were trained to weightbear partially using the conventional bathroom scale method and were assessed in a gait laboratory using force platforms. The amount of weight exerted on the involved limb during three-point crutch walking was determined. Four of six volunteers exerted a mean of 27% of body weight more than required. The remaining two volunteers exerted a mean of 8.5% of body weight less than required. Of the 23 patients, 21 exerted a mean of 35.3% of body weight more than that prescribed and two patients exerted a mean of 11.97% of body weight less than that prescribed. In both groups there was little relationship between the weightbearing prescribed and actual weightbearing. None of the patients or volunteers was able to reproduce the extent of partial weightbearing for which they were trained using the bathroom scale method, confirming that this technique of instructing patients in partial weightbearing is inaccurate.

[1]  A. Beckett,et al.  AKUFO AND IBARAPA. , 1965, Lancet.

[2]  F B Gray,et al.  Assessing the accuracy of partial weight-bearing instruction. , 1998, American journal of orthopedics.

[3]  C. Winstein,et al.  Learning a partial-weight-bearing skill: effectiveness of two forms of feedback. , 1996, Physical Therapy.

[4]  J Kenwright,et al.  Mechanical Influences on Tibial Fracture Healing , 1998, Clinical orthopaedics and related research.

[5]  J. Cunningham,et al.  A portable monitoring system for measuring weight-bearing during tibial fracture healing. , 1998, Medical engineering & physics.

[6]  Warren Cg,et al.  Training procedures and biofeedback methods to achieve controlled partial weight bearing: an assessment. , 1975 .

[7]  J L Cunningham,et al.  Tibial external fixation, weight bearing, and fracture movement. , 1993, Clinical orthopaedics and related research.

[8]  S. P. Chow,et al.  Partial weight bearing after operations for hip fractures in elderly patients. , 1992, Journal of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

[9]  J Kärrholm,et al.  Low effectiveness of prescribed partial weight bearing. Continuous recording of vertical loads using a new pressure-sensitive insole. , 2001, Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine.

[10]  N. Dalén,et al.  Immediate or late weight bearing after uncemented total hip arthroplasty: a study of functional recovery. , 2001, The Journal of arthroplasty.

[11]  S. Canale,et al.  Campbell's operative orthopaedics , 1987 .

[12]  Raj D. Rao,et al.  Effect of loading and fracture motions on diaphyseal tibial fractures , 1996, Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society.

[13]  N. Adler,et al.  The effect of partial or full weight bearing ambulation after cementless total hip arthroplasty. , 2002, The Journal of arthroplasty.

[14]  D. Altman,et al.  STATISTICAL METHODS FOR ASSESSING AGREEMENT BETWEEN TWO METHODS OF CLINICAL MEASUREMENT , 1986, The Lancet.

[15]  D. Rosenbaum,et al.  Early, Full Weightbearing With Flexible Fixation Delays Fracture Healing , 1996, Clinical orthopaedics and related research.

[16]  J. M. Lee,et al.  Observations on the Effect of Movement on Bone Ingrowth into Porous‐Surfaced Implants , 1986, Clinical orthopaedics and related research.

[17]  S. Miyazaki,et al.  Limb-load alarm device for partial-weight-bearing walking exercise , 2006, Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing.

[18]  R M Pilliar,et al.  Radiographic and morphologic studies of load-bearing porous-surfaced structured implants. , 1981, Clinical orthopaedics and related research.

[19]  J A Buckwalter,et al.  Effects of early motion on healing of musculoskeletal tissues. , 1996, Hand clinics.

[20]  C G Warren,et al.  Training procedures and biofeedback methods to achieve controlled partial weight bearing: an assessment. , 1975, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

[21]  J Kenwright,et al.  Controlled mechanical stimulation in the treatment of tibial fractures. , 1989, Clinical orthopaedics and related research.

[22]  P. Sharkey,et al.  Immediate Weightbearing After Uncemented Total Hip Arthroplasty , 1998, Clinical orthopaedics and related research.