Clinical measures and gait parameters in individuals with knee Osteoarthritis: a comparison between men and women

Abstract

This study aimed to compare men and women on muscle strength, pain, physical function, and gait spatiotemporal parameters at three speeds, verifying the correlation between variables. Forty-two individuals with KOA (21 women) participated in this cross-sectional study. They were assessed using the visual analog pain scale (VAS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Index (WOMAC), lower limb isometric muscle strength, and gait kinematics on a treadmill at three speeds. The results revealed that women had worse clinical measures (WOMAC and muscle strength) (p < 0.006) and reduced step length (p < 0.05). The results also showed that women had more variables correlated with step length and stronger correlations (r = 0.33 to 0.83) than men. In conclusion, the moderate to strong correlation between step length and clinical measures observed for women suggests that step length could be a suitable parameter for assessing women with KOA. Also, the critical role of clinical measures indicates that it could be beneficial to associate the usual intervention with a psychosocial approach for women.