The Relationship Between Hip and Knee Flexibility and Post-coronary Angiography Pain

Coronary angiography can cause post-procedural pain, and limited flexibility in the hips and knees may contribute to this discomfort. This study was designed to assess the flexibility of the hip and knee and its relationship with pain after femoral angiography.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 42 participants (27 men and 15 women, aged 30-85 years) after non-emergency angiography at Dr. Shariati Hospital. Demographic data, employment status, and angiography history were collected through an individual data questionnaire. Muscle flexibility was assessed using a goniometer and tape measure, and visual analog scale (VAS) was applied to evaluate the score of pain. A Spearman correlation coefficient and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to examine the relationship between variables and pain.

The analysis revealed no significant difference in mean pain scores between men and women (P=0.662), employment status (P=0.265), or history of angiography (P=0.262). We observed positive correlations between pain and the modified Thomas test for hip extension, active knee extension test, and forward bending test (rho=0.745, rho=0.594, and rho=0.433; P=0.00, P=0.00, and P=0.04, respectively). Conversely, the modified Thomas test for knee flexion showed a negative correlation with pain (rho=-0.591, P=0.00). No significant differences were found between the sit-and-reach test and pain (rho=0.337, P=0.29). Age demonstrated a positive correlation with pain (rho=0.312, P=0.04). However, weight did not show a significant correlation with pain (rho=-0.074, P=0.64).

A relationship was observed between some flexibility tests and pain. Reduced hip and knee flexibility correlated with higher pain levels after femoral angiography. While age showed a positive relationship with pain, weight did not show any relationship with pain. These results emphasize the importance of considering flexibility in managing pain after femoral angiography.