Turkish Journal of Geriatrics 2017 , Vol 20, Issue 1
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN KINESIOPHOBIA, QUADRICEPS MUSCLE STRENGTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS
Tarık ÖZMEN1, Ümit GAFUROĞLU2, Aysegül ALTUN GÜVENİR2, İpek ZİRAMAN3, Bülent ÖZKURT4
1Karabuk University, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation KARABUK
2Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation ANKARA
3Vakifbank Maltepe Health Centre, Department of Radiology, ANKARA
4Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, ANKARA
Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between kinesiophobia, quadriceps muscle strength and quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Materials and Method: We included 145 patients (age, 55.9±8 years) diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee in this study. Kinesiophobia, pain intensity, quadriceps muscle strength, disability and quality of life were evaluated using Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, visual analogue scale, hand-held dynamometer, Lysholm scale and short form-36, respectively.

Results: There was a significant relationship between pain at rest (p= .028), pain during activity (p=.015), disability (p=.019), vitality (p=.03) and social function (p=.036) of short form-36 and quadriceps muscle strength in females. No significant relationship was found between the test variables and quadriceps muscle strength (p> .05) in males. There was a significant relationship between pain during activity (p=.021), quadriceps muscle strength (p=.017), vitality (p=.026) and social function (p=.007) parameters of quality of life and kinesiophobia in females. There was a significant association between quadriceps muscle strength and kinesiophobia (p=.001) in males.

Conclusion: Quadriceps muscle weakness was associated with increased pain intensity and disability and reduced quality of life in females but not in males with osteoarthritis. Additionally, kinesiophobia was associated with higher pain intensity during activity, quadriceps muscle weakness and poorer quality of life in females. In males, level of kinesiophobia was associated with quadriceps muscle weakness. Keywords : Osteoarthritis; Quadriceps muscle; Muscle weakness; Disability; Quality of life