Hirotaka Iijima1,2,3,4,5, Yusuke Suzuki2, Tomoki Aoyama2, Masaki Takahashi1. 1. Department of System Design Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan. 2. Department of Physical Therapy, Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. 3. Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan. 4. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh. 5. McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that varus thrust visualized during gait is associated with a higher prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHOD: Individuals with knee OA (Kellgren and Lawrence grade ≥ 1) underwent a gait observation to assess varus thrust. The participants identified LBP and its severity using questionnaires. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between varus thrust and LBP. RESULTS: We included 205 participants (mean age, 68.19 years; 72.20% women). Forty-five (22.0%) participants showed varus thrust in their painful knee, in whom 31 (68.89%) and 18 (40.00%) were identified as any LBP and moderate to severe LBP (numeric rating scale ≥ 4 points), respectively. Patients with varus thrust demonstrated a 3.6-fold higher risk of the presence of moderate to severe LBP (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.62, 8.10). In LBP patients, the presence of varus thrust was associated with more severe LBP intensity (proportional odds ratio, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.02, 4.96). CONCLUSION: This study highlights the novel relationship between varus thrust and LBP, which supports the idea of a biomechanical link, the so-called knee-spine syndrome. These findings provide new insight for clarifying the pathogenesis of knee OA-related LBP. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that varus thrust visualized during gait is associated with a higher prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHOD: Individuals with knee OA (Kellgren and Lawrence grade ≥ 1) underwent a gait observation to assess varus thrust. The participants identified LBP and its severity using questionnaires. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between varus thrust and LBP. RESULTS: We included 205 participants (mean age, 68.19 years; 72.20% women). Forty-five (22.0%) participants showed varus thrust in their painful knee, in whom 31 (68.89%) and 18 (40.00%) were identified as any LBP and moderate to severe LBP (numeric rating scale ≥ 4 points), respectively. Patients with varus thrust demonstrated a 3.6-fold higher risk of the presence of moderate to severe LBP (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.62, 8.10). In LBP patients, the presence of varus thrust was associated with more severe LBP intensity (proportional odds ratio, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.02, 4.96). CONCLUSION: This study highlights the novel relationship between varus thrust and LBP, which supports the idea of a biomechanical link, the so-called knee-spine syndrome. These findings provide new insight for clarifying the pathogenesis of knee OA-related LBP. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Authors: Shogo Misu; Tsuyoshi Asai; Shunsuke Murata; Ryo Nakamura; Tsunenori Isa; Yamato Tsuboi; Kensuke Oshima; Shota Koyama; Ryuichi Sawa; Yoshihiro Fukumoto; Rei Ono Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-03-01 Impact factor: 3.390