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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Sec. Biomechanics
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1440393
This article is part of the Research Topic Assessment and Monitoring of Human Movement View all 33 articles

Biomechanical Analysis of Limits of Stability Using Computerized Posturography: Correlations with Functional Mobility in Elderly Individuals with Hip Osteoarthritis -A Cross-Sectional Study

Provisionally accepted
Khalid A Alahmari Khalid A Alahmari RAVI SHANKAR REDDY RAVI SHANKAR REDDY *
  • Program of Physical Therapy, Department of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia, Abha, Saudi Arabia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Hip osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that predominantly affects the elderly, causing significant morbidity due to joint pain, stiffness, and loss of function. This study aimed to assess the limits of stability (LOS) using computerized posturography and evaluate the correlations with functional mobility in elderly individuals with hip OA.This cross-sectional study included elderly individuals aged 65 years and above with a clinical diagnosis of hip OA and age-matched asymptomatic controls. The LOS was measured using a computerized dynamic posturography system, which quantified the maximum distance and angle participants could shift their center of gravity without losing balance. Functional mobility was assessed using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, which measures the time taken for participants to stand up, walk three meters, turn around, walk back, and sit down.The study included 86 elderly individuals with hip OA and 86 age-matched asymptomatic controls. LOS assessments showed that individuals with hip OA had significantly lower stability scores across all directions compared to controls (p < 0.001). TUG test times were significantly slower for the OA group (10.50 ± 2.20 seconds) compared to controls (8.70 ± 2.00 seconds, p < 0.001). Positive correlations were found between LOS and functional mobility (r = 0.50, p = 0.009). Moderation analysis revealed that age and duration of OA significantly influenced the relationship between stability and mobility.Conclusions: Hip OA significantly impacts stability and functional mobility in elderly individuals. Enhanced stability is associated with improved mobility, and demographic and clinical variables such as age and duration of OA play crucial roles in these relationships. These findings underscore the importance of targeted therapeutic interventions to improve stability and mobility in this population.

    Keywords: Hip osteoarthritis, Limits of stability, functional mobility, Elderly, posturography

    Received: 29 May 2024; Accepted: 13 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Alahmari and REDDY. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: RAVI SHANKAR REDDY, Program of Physical Therapy, Department of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia, Abha, Saudi Arabia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.