Application of Three-Dimensional Knee Kinesiography to Identify Underlying Musculoskeletal Pathology in an Active-Duty Service Member: A Case Study — MHSRS 2023

wentz g, landry p, Reilly N, Gonnella M, Haltiwanger H, wilson v, goss d

Abstract accepted for a breakout session at the 2023 Military Health System Research Symposium

Active-duty service members (ADSMs) are required to perform regular bouts of running and vigorous physical activity in accordance with the nature of their roles and responsibilities. As a result, ADSMs are at an inherently higher risk of sustaining a running-related injury compared to the general population. Prior research has identified numerous biomechanical parameters associated with an increased risk of injury, particularly regarding joint kinematics during gait. The gold standard for assessing joint kinematics of gait is three-dimensional motion capture. However, conducting three-dimensional motion capture analyses typically requires sophisticated laboratory equipment and a designated, open testing space. These conditions are often not feasible for a clinical environment, and thus populations that do not have ready access to biomechanics laboratory settings, including ADSMs. As a result, gait kinematics are often not considered when forming treatment and management plans for ADSMs following a running-related musculoskeletal injury. However, recent technological advances have strived to bring laboratory-grade motion capture technologies to clinical settings to reach patients that could benefit from the information and context that can be derived from these types of gait analyses. Therefore, the purpose of this case study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a portable, clinic-friendly three-dimensional motion capture system to supplement the treatment of and recovery from a running-related injury for an active-duty service member.