Comparison of Kinetic and Kinematic Parameters of Walking Between Healthy Individuals and Patients with Heart Disease

Objective Cardiovascular diseases, particularly chronic heart failure, impair cardiac function, leading to muscle weakness and reduced motor control-factors that negatively affect gait quality.This study aimed to compare gait parameters between patients with chronic heart failure and healthy individuals.Methods Twenty patients with chronic heart failure (mean age: 54 ± 1.9 years; BMI: 22.5 ± 4.5) and twenty healthy controls (mean age: 54.3 ± 1.6 years; BMI: 26.5 ± 1.5) participated in the study.Kinematic and kinetic data from the dominant lower limb were collected during walking using a Basler 3D motion analysis system and a Kistler force plate.Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software, employing independent t-tests and Mann-Whitney U tests, with the significance level set at p < 0.05.Results Significant differences in kinetic and kinematic gait parameters were observed between the patient and control groups.In the sagittal plane, ankle plantarflexion moments and knee and hip extension moments were reduced.In the frontal plane, decreases were found in knee varus and hip adduction moments.In the transverse plane, knee external rotation and hip internal rotation moments were also diminished.Hip and knee joint ranges of motion were significantly reduced, and ground reaction forces differed in the sagittal plane.While joint stiffness did not differ significantly, patients exhibited unstable gait patterns.Conclusion Chronic heart failure substantially alters gait biomechanics.Decreased joint moments and range of motion across all planes, along with lateral muscle weakness and compensatory strategies, contribute to impaired gait stability.Although joint stiffness did not differ significantly, variability in the data suggested underlying functional instability.Notably, only the ground reaction force in the sagittal plane showed a significant difference.