Knee varusÒvalgus motion during gait Ò a measure of joint stability in patients with osteoarthritis?

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Knee varusÒvalgus motion during gait Ò a measure of joint stability in patients with osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage
Volume 16, Issue 4, April 2008, Pages 522-525

M. van der Esch M.A.‹, ·, M. Steultjens Ph.D.‹, ?, J. Harlaar Ph.D.?, short parallel, N. Wolterbeek M.Sc.?, short parallel, D.L. Knol Ph.D.? and J. Dekker Ph.D.‹, ?
‹Jan van Breemen Institute, Center for Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
·Department of Allied Health Care Research, Amsterdam School of Allied Health Education, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
||MOVE Research Institute for Clinical Movement Studies, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
?VU University Medical Center, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, EMGO Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
?VU University Medical Center, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Received 6 April 2007;
accepted 13 August 2007.
Available online 24 September 2007.

Summary
Objective
To determine the validity of varusÒvalgus motion as a measure of knee joint stability by establishing the relationship of varusÒvalgus motion with muscle strength, joint proprioception, joint laxity and skeletal alignment in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods
Sixty-three patients with OA of the knee were tested. VarusÒvalgus motion was determined with a video-based optoelectronic gait analysis system. Muscle strength was measured using a computer-driven isokinetic dynamometer. Proprioceptive acuity was assessed by establishing the joint motion detection threshold in the anteriorÒposterior direction. Laxity was assessed using a device which measures the passive angular deviation of the knee in the frontal plane. Alignment was assessed using a goniometer. Regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between varusÒvalgus motion, muscle strength, joint proprioception, joint laxity and skeletal alignment.

Result
VarusÒvalgus motion was not related to muscle strength, joint proprioception, joint laxity and skeletal alignment.

Conclusions
Knee joint stability cannot be measured as varusÒvalgus motion. Rather, a number of independent factors seem to contribute to the process of stabilization of the knee joint.

Key words: Osteoarthritis; Knee; Kinematics; Stability; Muscle strength