ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to compare muscle function and functionality of a group of elderly women with knee OA (GOA=15) with the asymptomatic group(GAS=18). Anthropometric characteristics, physical function and quality of life were evaluated by a specific OA questionnaire Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, and a battery of functional tests: Short Physical Performance Battery, Timed Up and Go Test, and the 6 minutes walking test. Kolmogrov-Smirnov test was applied to confirm data normality. To variable that showed normal distribution the student "T" test for independent samples was used and the"U" Mann-Whitney was applied to variables without normal distribution (p<0.05). The results showed that there are no differences in anthropometric variables, age, physical and functional performance between groups. It can be concluded that elderly women with mild to moderate knee OA have physical and functional performance similar to asymptomatic elderly.
Keywords:
Knee osteoarthritis.Physical function.Olderwomen