Evaluation of balance, physical performance, joint range of motion, and quality of life in individuals with knee osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis in the world and the knee joint is the most commonly affected joint symptomatically in OA. It is a non-inflammatory chronic degenerative disease characterized by cartilage destruction, osteophyte formation and subchondral sclerosis, especially in load-bearing joints. This study was conducted to examine the balance, physical performance, pain, range of motion and quality of life parameters of patients with early and advanced knee OA, their relationship with each other and comparison of the differences between the groups. 128 patients aged between 40-65 who applied to Baskent University Ankara Hospital Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Polyclinic and were diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis according to Kellgren Lawrence radiological staging within the American College of Rheumatology criteria was formed and divided into 2 groups as early (stage 1-2) and advanced (stage 3-4). In the study, patient evaluation questionnaire was used to investigate the physical characteristics and sociodemographic information of the participants, goniometric measurement was used for joint range of motion (ROM), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to evaluate pain, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) was used to evaluate physical functions to evaluate quality of life Short Form 36 (SF-36) and Kinesthetic Ability Trainer (KAT 3000) device were used to evaluate balance statically and dynamically. As the level of osteoarthritis increases the physical functions, quality of life, knee flexion angles and both static and dynamic balance scores of the patients decrease, while pain intensity increases (p<0.001). A weak positive correlation was observed between the WOMAC total score and the resting and activity VAS scores in early-stage patients (p<0.05, r=0.248 and r=0.259, respectively). A weak negative correlation was found between resting VAS score and SF-36 general health perception in advanced stage patients (p<0.05, r=0.278). There was a weak positive correlation between resting VAS score and static balance score in early stage patients (p<0.05, r=0.252). On the other hand, there was a weak positive correlation between resting VAS score and static and dynamic balance scores in advanced patients (p<0.05, r=0.360 and r=0.363), respectively. A weak negative correlation was found between ROM values and static and dynamic balance scores of early stage patients (p<0.05, r=0.346 and r=0.337, respectively). In advanced patients, there is a moderate negative correlation between ROM and static and dynamic balance scores (p<0.05, r=0.548 and r=0.652, respectively). As a result, in our study, VAS pain scores, Womac scores, and balance scores were found to be lower in early-stage patients than in advanced-level patients, while joint range of motion and quality of life scale scores were found to be higher in early-stage patients than in advanced-level patients.