Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32138672›Full record

ArticleBMC geriatrics2020

Reduced strength, poor balance and concern about falls mediate the relationship between knee pain and fall risk in older people.

Cameron Hicks, Pazit Levinger, Jasmine C Menant, Stephen R Lord, Perminder S Sachdev, Henry Brodaty, Daina L Sturnieks

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC geriatrics, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
31citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
15.2field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

31 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 74 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Cameron HicksNeuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Barker Street, Randwick, Sydney, New South Wales, 2031, Australia.
Pazit LevingerNational Ageing Research Institute, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Jasmine C MenantNeuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Barker Street, Randwick, Sydney, New South Wales, 2031, Australia.
Stephen R LordNeuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Barker Street, Randwick, Sydney, New South Wales, 2031, Australia.
Perminder S SachdevCentre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Henry BrodatyCentre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Daina L SturnieksNeuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Barker Street, Randwick, Sydney, New South Wales, 2031, Australia. d.sturnieks@neura.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0002-4602-7685
UNSW Sydney · AUThe Royal Melbourne Hospital · AU

Funding

National Health and Medical Research Council 1026726
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPain is an independent risk factor for falling. One in two older community-dwelling people with musculoskeletal pain fall each year. This study examined physical, psychological and medical factors as potential mediators to explain the relationship between knee pain and falls.

methodsThree hundred and thirty-three community-dwelling people aged 70+ years (52% women) participated in this cohort study with a 1-year follow-up for falls. Participants completed questionnaires (medical history, general health and concern about falls) and underwent physical performance tests. Participants were classified into 'pain' and 'no pain' groups based on self-reported knee pain. Poisson Regression models were computed to determine the Relative Risk (RR) of having multiple falls and potential mediators for increased fall risk.

resultsOne hundred and eighteen (36%) participants were categorised as having knee pain. This group took more medications and had more medical conditions (P < 0.01) compared to the no pain group. The pain group had poorer balance, physical function and strength and reported increased concern about falls. Sixty one participants (20%) reported ≥2 falls, with the pain group twice as likely to experience multiple falls over the 12 month follow up (RR = 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.27-3.13). Concern about falls, knee extension torque and postural sway with eyes closed were identified as significant and independent mediators of fall risk, and when combined explained 23% of the relationship between knee pain and falls.

conclusionThis study has identified several medical, medication, psychological, sensorimotor, balance and mobility factors to be associated with knee pain, and found the presence of knee pain doubles the risk of multiple falls in older community living people. Alleviating knee pain, as well as addressing associated risk factors may assist in preventing falls in older people with knee pain.

Indexed as

PainPostural BalanceAccidental FallsAgedAged, 80 and overCohort StudiesFemaleHumansIndependent LivingKneeMaleRisk FactorsAccidental fallsKnee painOlder adults, balance, fear of falling

Identifiers

PMID32138672
PMCPMC7059317
OpenAlexW3012185002

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.