Prospective Evaluation of the Correlation of Posturographic Data, Pain Intensity and Functional Capacity in Patients with Osteoarthritis of the Lumbosacral Spine - Pilot Study.

Abstract

A significant effect of osteoarthritis of the lower limbs and spine on deterioration of the stability of the human body has been demonstrated in recent years. However, no reports have investigated the correlation between indices of body stability and functional capabilities of such patients. 1. To evaluate selected posturographic parameters in women with subacute low back pain. 2. To determine the correlation between the indices of body stability, pain intensity and functional capabilities in women with osteoarthritis of the lumbosacral spine. The study involved a randomly selected group of 20 women (mean age 62.2 ± 8.6 years) treated on an outpatient basis for low back pain. A posturographic evaluation was performed immediately before and after rehabilitation and at three months after completion of the treatment. The study used a WIN-POD PEL 38 electronic podometer. The Statistica 10.0 statistical package was used for statistical assessment of the study data, which was based on Friedman's ANOVA, Wilcoxon test and Spearman's correlation, with the level of significance set at p<0.05. 1. The women with lumbosacral pain experienced significantly impaired postural stability in the absence of visual control. 2. After rehabilitation, there was a significant reduction in pain intensity and improved body stability and functional capability of the subjects. 3. A correlation was found between pain intensity (VAS), and the parameters of the respondents' functional capabilities (WOMAC). 1. Objective posturographic assessment correlated with the results of recognized subjective clinical tests. 2. The observed abnormal postural stability in women with subacute lumbosacral pain may be a consequence of an impairment of proprioception in this group of patients. 3. The results encourage further research of larger study populations.