Impact of knee osteoarthritis and its correlation with balance, fear of falls and quality of life - a pilot study

Impact of knee osteoarthritis and its correlation with balance, fear of falls and quality of life - a pilot study
Objective: To correlate balance, fear of falls and quality of life in individuals with knee Osteoarthritis and age - matched controls using CBMS, FES, SF-36.
Methods: Fifty participants in the age group of 40 - 60 years were divided into Group A with diagnosed participants with knee OA using Kellgren-Lawrence scale and American college of Rheumatology (ACR) guidelines and Group B with age matched controls. The balance, fear of falls and quality of life was assessed using CBMS (Community Balance and Mobility scale), FES (Falls Efficacy Scale) and SF-36 respectively.
Results: Balance was affected more in Group A (p value- 0.165). Group A participants depicted more fear of falls (p value- <0.0001).The quality of life was poorer in Group A participants rather than matched controls (P value- <0.0001). Significant correlation was found between balance and fear of falling (r value: -0.4191). The affection of mental domain could be related to poor balance scores (r value: 0.01049). The fear of falling could be related to poorer quality of life (r value: -0.1352).
Conclusion: Knee osteoarthritis causes significant changes in the patient’s balance which is directly related to fear of falling which in turn has a negative impact on quality of life.