Associations between Radiographic Changes and Function, Pain, Range of Motion, Muscle Strength and Knee Function Score in Patients with Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the radiographic stages of knee osteoarthritis and measurements of symptoms. [Subjects] One hundred eighty-three patients with radiographs of varying degrees of osteoarthritis of the knee and 35 healthy subjects with no osteoarthritis of the knee were assessed. [Methods] The participants were assessed using the Hospital for Special Surgery score, pain score, sit-to-stand test, manual muscle test, goniometry and the Kellgren-Lawrence score. [Results] While pain scores of grades I and II in the Kellgren-Lawrence score were similar to each other, they were less than the pain scores of grades III and IV. Muscle strength, function scores and range of motion of grades I and II were similar and they were also higher than the values of grades III and IV. Pain scores of grades III and IV were similar whereas muscle strength, range of motion and function scores of grade IV were lower than those of grade III. While there was no difference between the functional levels of grade II and III, they were both lower than the values of grade I but higher than the values of grade IV. [Conclusion] The radiological findings did not show very strong relationships with other symptoms and signs of the disease in osteoarthritic patients.