The Relationship Between Knee Moments and Function with Western Ontario and McMaster Universities in Moderate Knee Osteoarthritis

Samaneh  Gholami; Giti Torkaman; Fariba  Bahrami; Noushin Bayat

doi:10.18502/jmr.v17i3.13072

Samaneh Gholami Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Giti Torkaman Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Fariba Bahrami Human Motor Control and Computational Neuroscience laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Noushin Bayat Department of Rheumatology, Exercise Physiology Research Center, Lifestyle Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jmr.v17i3.13072

Keywords: Knee osteoarthritis; Kinetics; Pain; Physical activity

Abstract

Introduction: The knee is the most affected weight-bearing joint by osteoarthritis. The kinetics parameters are correlated with the progression of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). This study was done to investigate the relationship between kinetics parameters and functional tests with Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) scores in people with moderate KOA.

Materials and Methods: Twenty- three participants with moderate KOA participated in this study. Gait analysis involved the measurement of the external peak knee adduction moment (PKAM), peak knee flexion moment (PKFM), knee adduction moment impulse (KAM impulse), and knee flexion moment impulse (KFM impulse) during level walking. Functional tests included timed up and go (TUG) and figure of eight walkings (FO8W) tests. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to investigate the correlation between kinetics parameters and functional test scores with WOMAC total scores and sub-scores.

Results: There was a significant inverse correlation between the first PKAM and WOMAC total score and pain sub-score (r=-0.43 P=0.03 and r=-0.6 P=0.002, respectively). Also, there was a significant inverse correlation between the second PKAM and pain sub-score (r=-0.46 P=0.02). There was no significant correlation between functional tests and WOMAC scores.

Conclusion: The low score of the WOMAC in the moderate KOA should not be attributed to the low level of joint knee moments.