title: Temporal-spatial gait adaptations during stair ascent and descent in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
abstract: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) accounts for more functional disability of the lower extremity than any other disease. We recruited 18 patients with knee OA and 18 healthy age-, height-, mass-, and gender-matched control subjects to investigate the effects knee OA has on select spatial and temporal gait variables during a stair climbing task. No group-by-direction interaction was observed; however, significant effects did occur for group and direction. Specifically, patients with knee OA demonstrated less time in single support, greater time in double support, decreased step length, greater step width, less stride length, decreased total gait velocity, greater total time in support, and less total time in swing, compared with controls. Early-stage knee OA directly influences specific temporal and spatial gait characteristics during stair climbing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise and Sport Science and Center on Aging, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA.
authors.forename: Charlie A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hicks-Little
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Peindl
authors.forename: Thomas K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Fehring
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Odum
authors.forename: Tricia J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Hubbard
authors.forename: Mitchell L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cordova
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology