Neuromuscular alterations in subjects with knee osteoarthritis during most common activities of daily living: a literature review

Abstract

BackgroundKnee osteoarthritis is an age-related, mobility-restricting illness with a number of risk factors that makes walking and climbing stairs more difficult than any other activity. It is associated with numerous biomechanical and neuromuscular alterations. Many studies have examined neuromuscular changes as an essential issue that should be taken into account in KOA. This study provides an evidence-based guideline to restore muscular activity patterns during common daily activities in subjects with KOA.Materials and methodsLiterature was retrieved up to the end of October 2024 from international databases including Scopus, PEDro, ISI Web of Science, and PubMed; additionally, the scholarly-specific search engines, Science Direct and Google Scholar were used. The English-language articles and related content were included. Due to the large number of articles, we only chose fresh and non-duplicated articles that were relevant to the topic.Results2130 articles were founded based on search strategy, and after removing duplicates and based on title 460 articles remained. After removing irrelevant articles, studying the abstract and full text and cross referencing in the newest systematic reviews, 25 articles were selected for review.ConclusionMany studies with different and sometimes contradictory results have been conducted in this field during walking, but the number of studies about stair-up and stair-down and sit-to-stand activities is low. Based on the different results mentioned in the studies, it seems that more and better quality studies are needed in this field, considering the severity of KOA and differences between different grades of KOA based on radiography findings.