Postural control in degenerative diseases of the hip joint.
Few studies investigated the postural control in patients with hip joint impairments; in some cases, balance impairments have been found, while other researchers have seen no significant changes. The goal of this study was to characterize postural stability in patients suffering from unilateral osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis in different balance tasks and to reveal potential differences between the two diseases in this respect.



Ten patients with hip osteoarthritis (mean age: 62.3years), 10 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (mean age: 55.4years) and 10 healthy control subjects (mean age: 54.3years) took part in the study. Displacement of centre of pressure was measured with a force plate in mediolateral and anteroposterior directions during two-leg standing on firm and compliant surfaces with eyes opened and closed.



Standing on a firm surface sway path increased significantly in the anteroposterior direction in both patient groups and in the mediolateral direction in all groups with eyes closed as compared to eyes opened condition. Standing on a compliant surface, sway paths increased significantly in both directions in all groups with eyes closed as compared to eyes opened condition; furthermore, sway paths were significantly longer with eyes closed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in comparison with control and osteoarthritis groups.



Our data revealed that the manipulation of both visual and somatosensory information can reveal subtle impairments in balance control. Thus, this paradigm can unmask the effects of decreased proprioception due to joint capsule lesion in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Studies, University of Szeged, Temesvári krt. 31, Szeged 6726, Hungary. Electronic address: sziver@etszk.u-szeged.hu.
Edit
E
Sziver
Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Studies, University of Szeged, Temesvári krt. 31, Szeged 6726, Hungary. Electronic address: nedit@etszk.u-szeged.hu.
Edit
E
Nagy
Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Studies, University of Szeged, Temesvári krt. 31, Szeged 6726, Hungary. Electronic address: andrea@etszk.u-szeged.hu.
Andrea
A
Preszner-Domján
Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Studies, University of Szeged, Temesvári krt. 31, Szeged 6726, Hungary. Electronic address: posa@etszk.u-szeged.hu.
Gabriella
G
Pósa
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Dóm ter 10, Szeged 2720, Hungary. Electronic address: horvath.gyongyi@med.u-szeged.hu.
Gyöngyi
G
Horvath
Department of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Kalvaria sgt. 57, Szeged 6725, Hungary. Electronic address: balog.attila@med.u-szeged.hu.
Attila
A
Balog
Department of Orthopaedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6, Szeged 6725, Hungary. Electronic address: toth.kalman@med.u-szeged.hu.
Kálmán
K
Tóth
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000503:physiopathology; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D012683:Sensory Deprivation / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology
Compliant surface; Osteoarthritis; Postural sway; Rheumatoid arthritis