Gait speed and functional performance in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis

Abstract Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative and inflammatory disease that causes skeletal muscle dysfunction and induces limitation of functional activities, such as gait. Objective: To assess the relationship between gait speed and functional performance in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis. Methods: 38 elderly women were divided into two groups: knee osteoarthritis group (KOAG) (n = 24, 68 ± 4.42) and control group (CG) (n = 14, 66.35 ± 3.54). Gait speed data was assessed through Qualisys system and functional performance through a checklist of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Results: Comparing with CG (p < 0.05), KOAG patients had lower gait speed (p = 0.004) and worse functional performance in d4500 (walking short distances), d4501 (walking long distances), d4502 (walking on different surfaces), and d4503 (walking around obstacles) ICF categories. By associating gait speed and functional performance in KOAG, significant differences were found in the d4500 (p = 0.019) and d4501 (p = 0.035) categories, but none for either the d4502 (p = 0.511) or d4503 (p = 0.076) categories. Gait speed was negatively correlated with d4500 (rho = -0.585, p = 0.003), d4501 (rho= -0.552, p = 0.005), and d4502 (rho = -0,548, p = 0,006). Conclusion: Gait speed is related to functional performance in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis for the activities of walking short distances, walking long distances, and walking on different surfaces. However, it seems that gait speed is not related to walking around obstacles.