Abstract
[Purpose] In this study, we examined if a relationship exists between clinical assessments of symptoms (pain and function) and external knee and hip adduction moment during stepping movement in patients with medial knee osteoarthritis (knee OA). [Subjects] Thirty patients with early medial knee OA and 18 age-matched asymptomatic controls walked while the kinematic and kinetic data were measured. [Methods] Biomechanical data were collected from two force plates (ANIMA) and a motion analysis system (Kissei Comtec). Pain and physical function were measured using the pain and physical function subscales of the WOMAC index. [Results] External knee adduction moment and external hip adduction moment did not differ significantly between the knee OA and control subjects. A significant difference in external knee adduction moment (%) was found between the two groups (p<0.05). Stepwise forward regression analysis revealed relatively high contributions of external knee adduction moment in the single leg stance phase to the pain subscale of the WOMAC index. [Conclusion] This suggests that a nonsurgical approach would be useful for reducing the external knee adduction moment.
