Fear of knees giving way could be key when treating knee osteoarthritis – new findings

More attention should be paid to buckling (giving way) and knee confidence when it comes to treating people with osteoarthritis, a team highlights in Arthritis Care & Research.
Low overall knee confidence and/or fear that the knee will buckle are often experienced by people with knee osteoarthritis, as is excessive motion during walking. Confidence and buckling can influence activity choices, which in turn can lead to disability.
Experts assessed if people’s confidence in their knee buckling and excessive motion while walking is associated with how well the knee functions two years later.
So 212 people with knee osteoarthritis were asked about their confidence levels and their physical performance was assessed over a two-year period.
Knee confidence and buckling was significantly associated with poor advanced functional outcomes.
“Knee buckling and low knee confidence were each associated with poor two-year advanced function outcomes,” the research group says. “Current treatment does not address these modifiable factors; interventions to address them may improve outcome in knee osteoarthritis.”
A spokeswoman from Arthritis Research UK comments:
“Some people with osteoarthritis of the knee find that as well as pain and stiffness, the condition causes the knee to give way, or buckle, because their muscles have become weak, or the joint structure is less stable.
“More evidence to support the use of knee braces for osteoarthritis is becoming available. Several types of braces can help to stabilise the kneecap and make it move correctly. A brace can correct knee alignment and also reduce pain in some types of knee osteoarthritis that affects the kneecap.”

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