Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The relationship between physical defects and the development of medial knee osteoarthritis is not clear.
OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between the physical function and the instability of knee joint in the patients with medial knee osteoarthritis.
METHODS: 104 patients diagnosed with medial knee osteoarthritis were included, knee outcome survey-activities of daily living scale was used to measure knee joint instability, functional self-assessment was performed with the knee injury and osteoarthritis score, body functions based on physical assessment was evaluated by timing ladder test, and the radiographic evaluation was performed.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference of medial laxity, lateral laxity, diagonal, standardized maximal voluntary isometric contraction and stair climbing time between the patients with different degrees of knee instability (P > 0.05). While there was significant difference of pain, symptoms, activities of daily living, sports scores and the subsets of quality of life between the patients with different degrees of knee instability (P < 0.05). There was no direct correlation between the self-reported knee instability and the medial laxity, quadriceps femoris weakness and varus alignment in the patients with medial knee osteoarthritis.