MUSCLE FUNCTION AND GAIT IN PATIENTS WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS BEFORE AND AFTER MUSCLE REHABILITATION

Patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) have reduced functional capacit y and muscle function that improves significantly after quantitative p rogressive exercise rehabilitation (QPER). The effects of these change s on the biomechanics of walking have not been quantified. Our goal wa s to quantify the effects of knee OA on gait before and after QPER. Bi lateral kinematic and kinetic analyses were performed using a standard link-segment analysis on seven women (60.9 +/- 9.4 years) with knee O A. All functional capacity, muscle function and gait variables were in itially reduced compared to age-matched controls. Muscle strength, end urance and contraction speed were significantly improved (55%, 42% and 34%, respectively) after 2 months of QPER (p < 0.05), as were functio n (13%), walking time (21%), difficulty (33%) and pain (13%). There we re no significant changes in the gait variables after QPER. To use the QPER improvements to the best advantage, gait retraining may be neces sary to 're-programme' the locomotor pattern.