title: Contribution of knee adduction moment impulse to pain and disability in Japanese women with medial knee osteoarthritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An increase in the knee adduction moment is one of the risk factors of medial knee osteoarthritis. This study examined the relationship between knee adduction moment and self-reported pain and disability. We also investigated the influence of pain on the relationships between knee adduction moment and gait performance and disability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight Japanese women with medial knee osteoarthritis participated in this study (66.37 years (41-79 years)). Gait analysis involved the measurement of the external knee adduction moment impulse in the stance duration and during 3 subdivisions of stance. The total, pain and stiffness, and physical function Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure scores were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pain and stiffness, physical function, and total scores were positively correlated with the knee adduction moment impulses in the stance duration, and initial and second double support interval, and single limb support interval. The knee adduction moment impulse during the stance duration was related to the pain and stiffness subscale and gait velocity. The pain and stiffness subscale was related to the physical function subscale.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that increasing in the knee adduction moment impulse, a proxy for loading on the medial compartment of the knee, is related to increased pain during weight-bearing activities such as walking, thereby restricting walking performance and causing disability by reducing gait velocity. Thus, the reduction in the knee adduction moment impulse during gait may result in pain relief and may serve as a conservative treatment option with disease-modifying potential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Hiroshima International University, 555-36 Kurosegakuendai, Higashi-Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima, 737-0112, Japan. n-kito@hs.hirokoku-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kito
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shinkoda
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: Naohiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kanemura
authors.forename: Masaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anan
authors.forename: Natsuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okanishi
authors.forename: Junya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ozawa
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moriyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007717:Knee / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D016138:Walking; D016474:Weight-Bearing