RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Association of Varus Thrust With Pain and Stiffness and Activities of Daily Living in Patients With Medial Knee Osteoarthritis
JF Physical Therapy
JO Phys Ther
FD American Physical Therapy Association
SP 167
OP 175
DO 10.2522/ptj.20140441
VO 96
IS 2
A1 Fukutani, Naoto
A1 Iijima, Hirotaka
A1 Fukumoto, Takahiko
A1 Uritani, Daisuke
A1 Kaneda, Eishi
A1 Ota, Kazuo
A1 Aoyama, Tomoki
A1 Tsuboyama, Tadao
A1 Matsuda, Shuichi
YR 2016
UL http://jcore-reference.highwire.org/content/96/2/167.abstract
AB Background Increasing evidence highlights potential associations between varus thrust and health domains associated with knee osteoarthritis (OA).Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the association between varus thrust and 2 subcategories—“pain and stiffness” and “activities of daily living (ADL)”—of the Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure (JKOM).Design This was a cross-sectional study.Methods In total, 296 outpatients with knee OA visiting orthopedic clinics were enrolled. The inclusion criteria were age ≥50 years, medial knee OA and Kellgren-Lawrence (K/L) grade ≥1 in one or both knees, and the ability to walk independently. Standard posterior-anterior knee radiographs were measured for varus alignment. Participants were video recorded while walking and were evaluated for the presence or absence of varus thrust. Pain and stiffness of the knee joint and ADL were evaluated using the JKOM. Multivariate regressions (outcomes: pain and stiffness and ADL; predictor variable: varus thrust) were performed.Results Varus thrust was present in 46 (16.2%) of 284 patients. Multivariate regression analyses demonstrated that varus thrust is independently associated with pain and stiffness, adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, K/L grade, and varus alignment (β=.17, P=.005). However, the association between varus thrust and ADL was not significant (β=.11, P=.058). Based on sensitivity analyses, including participants of K/L grade 1 had little influence on this analysis.Limitations Only 16.2% of participants had a varus thrust. Moreover, a cause-effect relationship between varus thrust and pain and stiffness remains unknown due to the cross-sectional design of this study.Conclusions Varus thrust was associated with pain and stiffness in patients with medial knee OA. However, the association between varus thrust and ADL did not reach significance.