Association of sensorimotor function with knee joint kinematics during locomotion in knee osteoarthritis

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between quadriceps sensorimotor function (knee joint-position sense, quadriceps strength, and quadriceps onset of activity) and knee Joint kinematics (knee flexion at Initial contact and loading) during level walking and stair descent in a large cohort of 220 people with knee osteoarthritis. Design: Cross-sectional correlational study. Results: Joint-position sense correlated with knee flexion at initial contact during both tasks (r = -0.20 and -0.14, P < 0.05). Strength correlated with peak loading response knee flexion during both tasks (r = 0.17 and 0.20, P < 0.05). Quadriceps onset correlated with knee flexion at initial contact during stair descent (r = 0.14, P < 0.05). Furthermore, differences in kinematic variables were observed when participants were divided into those with best and worst sensorimotor function. Conclusion: Impaired sensorimotor function as measured in this study is not strongly associated with altered knee Joint kinematics observed in knee osteoarthritis patients during locomotion.