title: Correlation between gait analysis and clinical questionnaires in patients with spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee is usually verified by magnetic resonance imaging accompanied by clinical questionnaires to assess the level of pain and functional limitation. There is a lack however, in an objective functional test that will reflect the functional severity of spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee. The purpose of the current study was to examine the correlation between spatiotemporal gait parameters and clinical questionnaires in patients with spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee.
  
  
  METHODS
  28 patients (16 females and 12 males) were included in the analysis. Patients had unilateral spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee of the medial femoral condyle confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging. All patients performed a computerized spatiotemporal gait analysis and completed the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index and the Short-Form 36. Relationships between selected spatiotemporal gait measures and self-assessment questionnaires were assessed by Spearman non-parametric correlations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant correlations were found between selected spatiotemporal gait parameters and clinical questionnaires (r ranged between 0.28 and 0.79). Single limb support was the gait measure with the strongest correlation to pain (r=0.58), function (r=0.56) and quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spatiotemporal gait assessment for patients with spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee correlates with the patient's level of pain and functional limitation there by adding objective information regarding the functional condition of these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Barzliay Medical Center, Ashkelon, Israel.
authors.forename: Ronen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Debi
authors.affiliation: AposTherapy Research Group, Herzliya, Israel. Electronic address: researchdept10@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mor
authors.affiliation: AposTherapy Research Group, Herzliya, Israel.
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elbaz
authors.affiliation: AposTherapy Research Group, Herzliya, Israel.
authors.forename: Ganit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Segal
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Barzliay Medical Center, Ashkelon, Israel.
authors.forename: Omri
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lubovsky
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Barzliay Medical Center, Ashkelon, Israel.
authors.forename: Gadi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Bezalel
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Peskin
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.
authors.forename: Yiftah
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Barzliay Medical Center, Ashkelon, Israel.
authors.forename: Ehud
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Atoun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee / Q000503:physiopathology; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010020:Osteonecrosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Gait; Pain, function; SONK