Impact of the degree of obesity on symptoms and functional capacity of women with knee osteoarthritis

Abstract

Women are at higher risk to knee osteoarthritis (OA) and obesity. Together, these diseases may ensue pain and functional limitations, mainly during locomotion. The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of the degree of obesity in symptoms and functional capacity of women with knee osteoarthritis. The sample studied was made up by 13 obese women (body mass index - BMI>;30 kg/m²) and 15 morbid obese women (BMI>;40 kg/m²), all with bilateral knee OA. The symptoms of pain, stiffness and functional difficulty were measured by the questionnaire The Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index (Womac). Functional capacity was evaluated by four speed tests: usual gait, fast gait, climbing and descending stairs. Both groups presented a moderate impact of obesity on knee osteoarthritis, with no differences between them concerning symptoms. Obese women had better results in the usual gait and climbing stairs tests than morbid obese ones, but not in fast gait and descending stairs, which are more complex and stressful tasks for the knee joint. It may be said that the degree of obesity had no impact on knee OA symptoms of pain, stiffness and functional difficulty; and, in two functional capacity tests, both obese women and women with morbid obesity showed similar performances, thus suggesting that other factors may influence functional capacity of obese women with knee osteoarthritis.