RR-PL-0225

Monday 10:00, Palau de Congressos, Hall 2, Room A

A CROSS SECTIONAL EXAMINATION OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE IN PATIENTS WITH END STAGE KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS 1Sonia M.C. Pagura MSc., 2 Deborah M. Kennedy BScPT, 3 Scott G. Thomas, PhD; Sunnybrook and Women's Health Sciences Centre, and University of Toronto - Graduate Department of Rehabiliation Science. Toronto. Canada PURPOSE: To compare physical activity levels in men and women with end-stage knee osteoarthritis (OA) to those of controls and to examine the relationship between physical activity and physical and functional performance. RELEVANCE: OA of the knee is associated with significant losses in functional performance and high social costs.  Physical activity, physical performance and physical function are profoundly reduced in patients with end-stage OA. Of particular concern, some of these deficits are greater in women total knee arthroplasty candidates (TKAC). The potential ramifications include secondary disuse leading to a further reduction in activity, social isolation and reduced quality of life.  All have an impact on the individual pre and post operatively and need to be considered in planning effective rehabilitation, especially for women who tend to live alone. SUBJECTS: Women and men between the ages of 55 and 75 years.  The TKAC group included individuals with end-stage OA, scheduled for total knee arthroplasty surgery.  The Controls consisted of healthy individuals with no diagnosed OA . Seventy-nine controls and fifty-nine TKAC agreed to participate in the study. METHODS AND MEASURES: Physical activity was assessed using the Voorrips questionnaire. Physical function was quantified using other measures included: fast self-paced walk test, timed up and go and a timed stair performance measure.  A subset of 21 controls and 17 TKAC underwent additional testing to determine muscle strength and endurance and perceived function using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). ANALYSES: The effects of gender and group were tested using GLM ANOVA using SAS and relationships between variables were tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlations. RESULTS: All aspects of physical activity were reduced (p < 0.001) in the TKAC group with a moderate change in household scores (18%) and the largest change seen in sporting and leisure activities (TKAC reporting less than 52% - 100% of controls participation). Unlike controls, modest but significant correlations (r = .31 to .33, p < 0.03) were observed between overall physical activity and functional performance tests for the TKAC. Physical activity was not significantly related to pain reported on the WOMAC or during the functional performance tasks. CONCLUSIONS: The belief that pain limits the physical activity of patients with severe OA requires further investigation. The profound reductions in physical activity observed with end-stage osteoarthritis have critical implications for the well being and effective treatment of this population.