The motor dysfunction of patients with knee osteoarthritis in a Chinese population

Objective. To determine the extent of motor dysfunction in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA), as compared with similarly aged subjects without knee OA, in a Chinese population. Methods. Seventy-six subjects participated in this study. Isometric peak torque of the knee muscles, range of knee motion at rest and during walking, gait velocity, cadence, and stride length were compared. Results. The isometric peak torque of both the quadriceps and the hamstrings of the affected leg of patients with knee OA were weaker than those of the controls (most P < 0.05). The gait velocity was 23.4% slower (P = 0.001), the cadence 33.3% less (P < 0.001), and the stride length 13.4% shorter (P = 0.010) in the patients with OA. The range of knee motion in the patients was reduced by 11.2% at rest (P = 0.003) and by 14.7% during walking (P = 0.001). Conclusion. Patients with knee OA exhibited statistically significant deficiencies in the physical performance tested, as compared with similarly aged subiects without knee OA (by 9.6% to 33.3%), in a Chinese population. The indication that this study group seems less severely limited than those reported in Western literature warrants further investigation.