title: Can single limb support objectively assess the functional severity of knee osteoarthritis?
abstract: There is a lack in objective measurements that can assess the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). In a previous study it was shown that pain and function are in higher correlation with the single-limb support gait parameter than with radiographic KOA stage. Single limb support represents a phase in the gait cycle when the body weight is entirely supported by one limb, while the contra-lateral limb swings forward. The purpose of this study was to further examine the relationship between single-limb support and the level of pain and function in patients with KOA. 125 adults with bilateral KOA underwent a physical and radiographic evaluation, and completed the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the SF-36 health survey. Patients walked barefoot at a self-selected speed on a computerized mat. Statistical analysis was used to divide the patients into quintiles based on single-limb support phase value and determine the differences in WOMAC and SF-36 scores between quintiles. Significant differences were found in WOMAC and SF-36 sub-category scores between the single-limb support quintiles. The means of the WOMAC-pain and WOMAC-function sub-categories decreased gradually over single-limb support quintiles (P<0.001), and the means of the SF-36 sub-categories increased gradually over the quintiles (P<0.001). Results show that single-limb support quintiles can help determine the level of pain, function and quality of life in patients with KOA. These results suggest that single-limb support quintiles may be added as an additional scale for generally assessing the symptomatic stage of KOA.
authors.affiliation: AposTherapy Research Group, Herzliya, Israel.
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elbaz
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mor
authors.forename: Ofer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Segal
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Agar
authors.forename: Nahum
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Halperin
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haim
authors.forename: Eytan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Debbi
authors.forename: Ganit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Segal
authors.forename: Ronen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Debi
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011788:Quality of Life; D011859:Radiography; D012720:Severity of Illness Index