Correlation between presence of Lumbar Instability, Physical function and Balance in subjects with knee osteoarthritis: An observational Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders that increase the global health burden. Various research aimed to improve pain and physical functions in individuals with OA knee have been conducted. However, there is a dearth of research evaluating coexisting lumbar instability and its impact on physical function limitation and risk of fall in individuals with knee OA, while there is a pool of research on kinetic chain evaluation including lumbar spine for the athletic population for injury prevention.METHODOLOGY: Twenty-two individuals with OA knee, aged 50–65 years (male or female) willing to participate in the study were included in the study. Demographic details including age, body mass index (BMI), and duration of knee pain were recorded. All the individuals were screened for the presence of lumbar segmental instability (using passive lumbar extension test), balance (using Dynamic Gait Index), and physical function using mWOMAC.RESULTS: Data were analyzed using SPSS. There were significantly greater (P < 0.05) deficits in balance and function of individuals with the presence of clinical lumbar segmental instability. In addition, BMI and duration of knee pain also correlated positively with balance and function deficits in all individuals.CONCLUSION: The presence of lumbar segmental instability in individuals with OA knee puts them at greater risk of falls due to altered balance and limits functional ability as well.