Balance impairments in individuals with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: a comparison with matched controls using clinical tests

Objectives. To compare balance in individuals with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA) and in age-, gender- and body-mass-matched controls using simple clinical measures. Methods. Thirty-three people with OA and 33 controls participated. Static postural sway [antero-posterior (AP), lateral and total] was measured using a swaymeter on two different surfaces and under two visual conditions. Dynamic standing balance was assessed using the 'step test'. Results. Both groups displayed similar postural sway on most variables measured. Significantly greater sway was noted in the OA group on a firm surface in both lateral (eyes open) and AP directions (eyes closed), as well as total sway (eyes closed) (P < 0.05). Poorer dynamic standing balance was observed in the OA group as evidenced by the step test (P < 0.0001). Conclusions. Balance deficits can be identified in the osteoarthritic population using simple, inexpensive measures. However, the clinical relevance of the small deficits identified remains unknown and warrants further investigation.