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

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.

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.

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.

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