Severe knee osteoarthritis 'increases the risk of damaging falls'

A new study has highlighted the elevated risk of potentially damaging falls among people suffering from severe knee osteoarthritis.

Conducted by the Amalia Fleming General Hospital and Democritus University of Thrace in Greece, the research offered evidence to support the use of total knee replacement surgery in order to mitigate this risk.

The study was published in the medical journal Clinics in Orthopedic Surgery and aimed to investigate the history of falls among 68 patients scheduled for total knee replacement due to severe knee osteoarthritis and knee pain lasting at least one year, as well as factors affecting these trends.

A fall frequency rate of 63.2 per cent for the past year was established, with 89.23 per cent of the falls taking place during walking. The main cause of these incidents was stumbling, and 29.3 per cent of the incidents resulted in an injury.

The time patients needed to complete the physical performance test, meanwhile, was indicative of the presence of disability and frailty, with pain, stiffness, limited physical ability, reduced muscle strength – all consequences of severe knee osteoarthritis – restricting patients' quality of life and increasing their fall risk.

The researchers concluded: "Patients with severe knee osteoarthritis should not postpone having total knee replacement, since it was clear that they would face more complicated matters when combining with fractures other serious injuries and disability."

Dr Katherine Free, research liaison and communications manager for Arthritis Research UK, said: "This research has shown that severe knee osteoarthritis can make people vulnerable to falls due to increasing disability. Falls from standing potentially could result in a fragility fracture, which is much more common in older people, particularly women who may also be affected by osteoporosis.

"It's our goal to help people live their lives free from pain, which is why we are funding research into understanding bone degeneration and methods to help maintain healthy cartilage for longer in order to alleviate this painful and debilitating condition."

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