title: Primary knee osteoarthritis increases the risk of falling.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of primary knee osteoarthritis on the risk of falling.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred participants (50 with knee osteoarthritis and 50 healthy controls) were included in this study. Primary knee osteoarthritis was diagnosed according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. Patients who were grade 2 or 3 by Kellgren-Lawrence criteria according to weight-bearing knee radiographs were included in this study. The risk of falling was evaluated by the interactive balance and coordination device both in the osteoarthritis and control groups. The functional status and pain were evaluated with respectively Lequesne Index and Visual Analogue Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant differences were found between the group of primary knee osteoarthritis and control in terms of age, BMI, and gender. The median falling index was 52 in the group with knee OA, whereas it was 31 in the control group. It was determined that primary knee osteoarthritis increased the risk of falling significantly and grade 3 primary knee osteoarthritis was statistically significantly higher than grade 2 (p < 0.001). The pain and functional status did not appear to be effective on the risk of falling in those patients (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Falling is among the important causes of mortality and morbidity in advanced age. Therefore, assessment of risk factors for falling and the strategies to prevent it are important. Primary knee osteoarthritis is one of the risk factors associated with falling. Therefore, medical approaches, proprioception training, balance-gait training, muscle strengthening exercises, and arrangements to prevent domestic injurious falling should be planned to reduce the risk of falling in the presence of primary knee osteoarthritis.
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Adnan Menderes University Medical School, Aydin, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gulnur
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tasci Bozbas
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Adnan Menderes University Medical School, Aydin, Turkey.
authors.forename: Omer Faruk
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Sendur
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Mersin State Hospital, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali Hakan
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Aydemir
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D004856:Postural Balance; D011434:Proprioception; D011859:Radiography; D016474:Weight-Bearing
keywords: Knee osteoarthritis; gonarthrosis; proprioception; risk of falling