TIBIOFEMORAL JOINT CONTACT DURING THE LOADING RESPONSE PHASE OF GAIT IN INDIVIDUALS WITH CONCURRENT KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS AND COMPLAINTS OF JOINT INSTABILITY

摘要

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions affecting older adults and commonly leads to pain and functional limitations. Many individuals with knee OA also report episodes of knee instability, which has been shown to adversely affect their ability to perform weight-bearing functional tasks. [1] Recently it was reported that individuals with knee OA and reports of joint instability demonstrate significant reductions in their sagittal and transverse plane rotational knee joint motion. [2] It is conceivable that the decreased rotational joint motion may represent a compensatory attempt to avoid pain and/or to stabilize an unstable knee joint. However, this movement strategy may be problematic in the long term as it could lead to increased compressive loading and a reduction of shock absorption capabilities.