Thesis defense Ramon Boekesteijn (Donders Series 659)

29 May 2024

Promotors: prof. dr. A.C.H. Geurts, prof. dr. N.L.W. Keijsers

Co promotor: dr. K. Smulders

Evaluating walking in lower-extremity osteoarthritis: Beyond the lab, towards the real world

Osteoarthritis of the knee or hip is one of the most common causes of physical limitations. In case of end-stage osteoarthritis, joint replacement surgery can be considered. Besides pain relief, improving walking is one of the most important goals of this surgery. However, mobility is only subjectively evaluated in clinical decision making. The results of this thesis show that objective measurement of walking provides relevant information about physical functioning of people with knee or hip osteoarthritis. Furthermore, recovery after surgery can be objectively evaluated. By using wearable sensors, it was not only possible to evaluate walking in the laboratory, but also in the hospital or even at home. Despite the promising results of this thesis, more research is warranted to establish the added value of the evaluation of walking for clinical decision making.