Comparison of Step-Based Metrics Under Laboratory and Free-Living Conditions in Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome.

CONTEXT: Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) causes pain and functional limitations. Little is known regarding walking characteristics, volume, and intensity evaluated in laboratory and free-living conditions and whether these measures differ between those with FAIS and uninjured individuals.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the differences in laboratory gait measures and free-living step-based metrics between individuals with FAIS and uninjured control participants.

DESIGN

Comparative, cross-sectional study.

PATIENTS OR OTHER

PARTICIPANTS

We enrolled 25 participants with FAIS and 14 uninjured controls.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): We evaluated laboratory spatiotemporal gait measures (cadence, velocity, step length, stride length) during self-selected and fast walking speeds using an instrumented walkway. Participants then wore an accelerometer around the waist during waking hours for 7 consecutive days. Free-living step-based metrics included average daily steps, peak 1- and 30-minute cadence, and average daily time spent in walking cadence bands. We compared laboratory gait measures and step-based metrics between groups.

RESULTS

The groups did not differ in laboratory spatiotemporal gait measures during both speeds (all P > .05). The FAIS group took fewer daily steps (5346 ± 2141 versus 7338 ± 2787 steps/d; P = .030) and had lower peak 1-minute (92.9 ± 23.9 versus 119.6 ± 16.3 steps/min; P < .001) and 30-minute cadences (60.9 ± 27.1 versus 86.8 ± 22.4 steps/min; P = .003) compared with uninjured controls, respectively. The FAIS group also spent less time in slow (6.0 ± 3.6 versus 10.3 ± 3.4 min/d; P = .001), medium (4.5 ± 4.2 versus 8.9 ± 4.4 min/d; P = .005), and brisk/moderate (4.5 ± 6.2 versus 12.2 ± 10.3; P = .020) cadence bands compared with uninjured controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical/laboratory gait measures alone may not be representative of real-world walking-related physical activity behavior in individuals with FAIS.