علیرضا فضایلی

Todays, various methods are used to evaluate the severity of knee instability in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). The aim of this study was to compare the state of brain waves related to balance, pain, and proprioception among KOA women with and without knee instability.

In this cross-sectional study, 60 female KOA patients were selected, and based on the instability index scores, were divided into two groups of 30 people with and without knee instability. Pain was evaluated with visual analogue scales (VAS), knee proprioception with angle reconstruction error and goniometer, balance with Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and brain wave analysis with ProComp Infiniti device. The Fitzgerald scale was also used to assign subjects to groups with and without knee instability. Then, the two groups were compared.

There was no significant difference between the mean scores of brain waves related to balance between the two groups. However, there was a significant difference between the two groups in knee proprioception at the target angles of 45° (both legs: p=0.0001) and 70° (right leg: p=0.003 and left leg: p=0.001). Also, a significant difference was observed between the two groups in balance scores (p=0.0001).

The evaluation of brain waves associated with balance in KOA patients cannot provide useful and practical information to identify people with knee instability. However, the sense of proprioception and balance in these people are distinct and can be factors to identify people prone to knee instability in these patients.

 Knee instability has become a debilitating problem among patients with knee osteoarthritis which may have many causes and complications. In this study, researchers evaluated the Knee Flexion Contracture (KFC), function, quality of life, and balance and its relationship with knee instability (KI). In this study, the researchers investigated the function, quality of life, Knee Flexion Contracture (KFC), and balance of the patients with knee osteoarthritis and its relationship with knee joint instability.

 In this double-blinded case-control study, 60 females with knee osteoarthritis participated and divided into two groups (30 in each) of osteoarthritis (mean age: 52.80) and without knee instability (mean age: 54.43) based on the knee instability index scores.Pain was evaluated with a visual analog scale(VAS), KFC with a universal goniometer, performance with WOMAC, and physical performance of the patients with the time up and go (TUG) and and time of up and down stairs tests, quality of life with the SF36 questionnaire, and balance with the Single Leg Lift test. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 22 software and independent sample t-test at a significance level of 0.05.

 The mean scores of KFC showed significantly difference between the two groups with and without KI (right foot: P=0.0001, left foot: P=0.001). Also, the mean scores of pain, fall times, WOMAC, physical function, quality of life, and One-legged balance were significantly different between groups (P=0.0001 in all variables). Regarding the time of up and down stairs, there was no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.057), although the difference between them was significant in the descent time (P=0.0001).

 According to the findings of this study, it was found that there was a significant difference between the two groups of osteoarthritis with and without KI in pain, function, KFC, quality of life, and One-legged balance, which paying attention to the causes and side effects of this problem makes it more clear.