title: Postural control parameters in elderly female fallers and non-fallers diagnosed or not with knee osteoarthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare stabilometric parameters of elderly female fallers and non-fallers associated or not with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-six elderly female fallers and non-fallers diagnosed or not with unilateral or bilateral knee OA were divided into the following groups: FOA (n = 10), elderly female fallers with knee OA; FNOA (n = 11), elderly female fallers without knee OA; NFOA (n = 14), elderly female non-fallers with knee OA; and NFNOA (n = 21), elderly female non-fallers without knee OA. For analyzing semi-static balance on a force platform with the elderly females standing, the following parameters were assessed in four conditions: center of pressure (COP), anterior-posterior and mediolateral displacements (APD and MLD, respectively); and COP anterior-posterior and mediolateral displacement velocities (APV and MLV, respectively). The following conditions were assessed: 1) standing on a firm wooden surface with eyes open (WSEO); 2) standing on a firm wooden surface with eyes closed (WSEC); 3) standing on a foam surface with eyes open (FSEO); 4) standing on a foam surface with eyes closed (FSEC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The elderly females with knee OA showed greater APD in all four conditions assessed (P < 0.05), while the elderly female fallers showed greater MLD (P < 0.05). No difference between the groups was observed for APV and MLV (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knee OA per se increases APD of the COP, while the history of falls, regardless of the presence of knee OA, hinders postural control in the ML direction.
authors.affiliation: Curso de Fisioterapia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrella
authors.forename: Thamires Máximo
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.forename: Júlia Guimarães
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Matheus Machado
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Renê Donizeti Ribeiro de
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Daniela Cristina Carvalho de
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Abreu
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004856:Postural Balance