Gluteal Training Importance in Total Knee Replacement

When your glutes are weak, your thigh tends to rotate inwards. This is an abnormal position that puts a lot of stress on the knee increasing the risk of problems. The gluteal muscles are important for a variety of activities including walking, standing on one leg, and walking up the stairs. Gluteal strengthening exercise is essential to TKR surgery patients and should be included in rehabilitation program in early stages to be conducted systematically. The strength of lower limb muscle groups other than gluteal muscles are also influence utilitarian result in patients with TKA. Although there was a trend towards quadriceps, hamstrings and calf weakness in patients, . Powerless gluteal muscles and lower leg muscles have implications for the gait of patients with TKA. Diminished gluteal strength along with diminished hamstring, quadriceps strength might influence the patients’ equilibrium as co-contraction of the gluteal and quadriceps are significant for knee proprioception and joint strength . The lower leg plantar flexors are basic to both supporting the body and accomplishing fast speeds of walking, and in individuals with gait abnormalities it has been shown that unfortunate lower leg plantar flexor capability during gait is a strong predictor of poor mobility outcome. knee extension during stance is partially controlled by gluteus maximus working as an antagonist. During the stance and swing stages, gluteus maximus contributes to hip extension, furthermore, controls the rate of hip flexion. When gluteus maximus was excluded from the stance limb, hip flexion was delayed. This was found to prevent initiation of hip extension and of the third rocker stage consequently inciting delayed stance-phase knee flexion. Squats,lunges,bridge,standing clamshell, straight leg raise, heel raise these are the common gluteal training exercises.