Multivariable model for gait pattern differentiation in elderly patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis: A wearable sensor approach

Background: Hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients demonstrate distinct gait patterns, yet detecting subtle abnormalities with wearable sensors remains uncertain. This study aimed to assess a predictive model's efficacy in distinguishing between hip and knee OA gait patterns using accelerometer data. Method: Participants with hip or knee OA underwent overground walking assessments, recording lower limb accelerations for subsequent time and frequency domain analyses. Logistic regression with regularization identified associations between frequency domain features of acceleration signals and OA, and k-nearest neighbor classification distinguished knee and hip OA based on selected acceleration signal features. Findings: We included 57 knee OA patients (30 females, median age 68 [range 49–89], median BMI 29.7 [range 21.0–45.9]) and 42 hip OA patients (19 females, median age 70 [range 47–89], median BMI 28.3 [range 20.4–37.2]). No significant difference could be found in the time domain's averaged shape of acceleration signals. However, in the frequency domain, five selected features showed a diagnostic ability to differentiate between knee and hip OA. Using these features, a model achieved a 77 % accuracy in classifying gait cycles into hip or knee OA groups, with average precision, recall, and F1 score of 77 %, 76 %, and 78 %, respectively. Interpretation: The study demonstrates the effectiveness of wearable sensors in differentiating gait patterns between individuals with hip and knee OA, specifically in the frequency domain. The results highlights the promising potential of wearable sensors and advanced signal processing techniques for objective assessment of OA in clinical settings.