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Sensorimotor changes and functional performance in patients with knee osteoarthritis
M V Hurley1, D L Scott, J Rees
1Physiotherapy Group, Division of Biomedical Sciences, King's College London.
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
|February 14, 1998
Summary
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) significantly impairs quadriceps sensorimotor function, leading to weakness, reduced activation, and poorer joint position sense. This dysfunction contributes to instability and decreased functional performance in OA patients.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Orthopedics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Sensorimotor function is crucial for balance and gait.
- The impact of arthritic damage on muscle sensorimotor function remains unclear.
- Investigating quadriceps function in knee osteoarthritis (OA) is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate quadriceps sensorimotor function in patients with knee OA.
- To determine if changes in sensorimotor function are associated with functional performance impairment.
Main Methods:
- Assessed quadriceps strength, voluntary activation, and proprioceptive acuity in 103 knee OA patients and 25 controls.
- Evaluated postural stability, objective functional performance, and disability (Lequesne index).
Main Results:
- Knee OA patients exhibited weaker quadriceps, poorer voluntary activation, and impaired knee joint position sense compared to controls.
- OA patients demonstrated reduced postural stability, increased disability, and poorer functional performance.
- Objective functional performance and quadriceps strength were key predictors of disability.
Conclusions:
- Articular damage in knee OA may reduce quadriceps motoneurone excitability, impairing activation and leading to weakness.
- Diminished proprioceptive acuity and impaired quadriceps sensorimotor function contribute to reduced functional performance and instability in OA.
- Sensorimotor deficits are linked to functional decline in knee osteoarthritis.