Fig. 3.

Spatial gait pattern changes following MCLT sham and MCLT + MMT surgery in the rat. Both MCLT sham and MCLT + MMT surgery resulted in altered spatial gait parameters in rats. a Velocity was significantly faster at week 4 and 6 relative to weeks 1 and 2 (p < 0.026). b Rats with MCLT + MMT surgery used spatially asymmetric foot strike patterns at week 2 and week 6, where the right step length was longer than expected (spatial symmetry >0.5; p = 0.005 and p < 0.001, respectively). At week 4, the spatial pattern of the MCLT + MMT group tended to be asymmetric, where the right step length was shorter than expected (p = 0.06). Spatial asymmetry indicative of longer right-step lengths were also seen in the MCLT sham at week 2 (p = 0.01) and tended to occur at week 4 (p = 0.06). c Step widths were narrower than expected in both groups, as indicated by a step width residual less than 0.0. The MCLT sham rats used narrower step widths at weeks 1, 2, and 4 (p < 0.001), but not at week 6. The MCLT + MMT animals used narrower step widths at weeks 2, 4, and 6 but not at week 1 (p < 0.001). d Stride lengths were shorter than expected in the rats with MCLT + MMT at 4 and 6 weeks (p = 0.04 and p < 0.001, respectively) and in the MCLT sham group at 6 weeks (p < 0.001), as indicated by a stride length residual less than 0.0. No significant differences were identified between the MCLT sham and MCLT + MMT groups within a specific time point. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. MCLT medial collateral ligament transection, MMT medial meniscus transection