ASSOCIATION OF LOWER EXTREMITY PHYSICAL FUNCTION OF ELDERLY WOMEN WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS WITH WOMAC INDEX.

241 This study reports the association of performance-based measures of lower extremity functioning with the WOMAC index. Sixty six sedentary women aged over 60 years (mean 68.9 yrs, SD 6.1) with hip and/or knee OA (mean history 11.8 yrs, SD 11.8) completed the physical function tests and the WOMAC questionnaire - a disease-specific health measure. Gait, endurance, joint flexibility and muscle strength were evaluated by recording; time to walk 8 feet, time to ascend and descend 4 stairs, time to rise from and sit back down from a chair (5 times), hip/knee flexion, and isometric strength of the quadriceps. Categories of performance were formed by dividing data into quartiles for each test (1=highest, 4=lowest score) and, by summing the category scores, a total score for the five tests was obtained. Test-retest reliability of the tests, assessed as intraclass correlation, ranged from 0.98 (left knee flexion) to 0.82 (right hip flexion). Performance scores on walking, climbing stairs, chair-rise and ROM of affected joints were significantly correlated with each other(p<0.05, Spearman's correlation). Lower scores on the summary performance scale were associated with lower scores on all the WOMAC index items (better perceived physical function), p<0.001 and shorter history of OA (p<0.05). This study provides evidence that a short battery of physical performance tests can be used to categorise lower extremity function and may complement the self-report measure in providing information about physical function and disability in elderly women with lower limb OA.