PHYSICAL-DISABILITY FROM KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS - THE ROLE OF EXERCISE AS AN INTERVENTION

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a common, nonfatal, chronic conditi on that causes pain and physical disability in older people. Persons w ith knee OA report difficulty with activities that require ambulation and transfer from the sitting to the standing position. Physical disab ility from knee OA is the result of a complex interplay among the seve rity of disease, pain, comorbid conditions, psychosocial factors, and deficits in physical capacity such as low aerobic work capacity and lo wer extremity muscle weakness. These deficits in physical capacity may be correctable with exercise training. Short-term studies indicate th at persons with knee OA show gains in physical capacity and report les s pain and disability with exercise training. However, the long-term e ffectiveness and safety of exercise in persons with knee OA remains un known.