ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2024
Associations amongst dynamic knee stiffness during gait, quadriceps stiffness, and the incidence of knee osteoarthritis over 24 months: a cohort study with a mediation analysis.
Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed.
- Article
- Using quantitative imaging methods to investigate the association between quadriceps stiffness and knee cartilage volumes.Bone & joint research · 2026Article
- Reliability of quadriceps and hamstring muscle stiffness measured by ultrasound shear wave elastography in patients with knee osteoarthritis.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2026Article
- Off-axis biomechanical alterations and related interventions in medial knee osteoarthritis: a mini review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2026Review
- Age-related changes in quadriceps stiffness and strength: a longitudinal observation in community-dwelling older adults.BMC geriatrics · 2025Observational
- Mediating role of effusion-synovitis in knee pain worsening following quadriceps weakness: data from the osteoarthritis initiative.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Article
- Knee Flexion Excursion Mediates the Association Between Quadriceps Stiffness and Knee Loads During the Mid-Stance Phase of Gait.Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society · 2025Article
- Validity and Reliability of Gait Speed and Knee Flexion Estimated by a Novel Vision-Based Smartphone Application.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Characterization of rectus femoris lesions in knee osteoarthritis at different stages and the effect of ultrasound-guided acupotomy.Frontiers in physiology · 2024Article
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8 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundDecreased strength and increased stiffness of the quadriceps have been associated with a higher risk of developing knee osteoarthritis (OA) in elders. Dynamic joint stiffness (DJS) represents collective resistance from active and passive knee structures for dynamic knee motions. Elevated sagittal knee DJS has been associated with worsening of cartilage loss in knee OA patients. Altered quadriceps properties may affect DJS, which could be a mediator for associations between quadriceps properties and knee OA. Hence, this study aimed to examine whether DJS and quadriceps properties would be associated with the development of clinical knee OA over 24 months, and to explore the mediation role of DJS in associations between quadriceps properties and knee OA.
methodsThis was a prospective cohort study with 162 healthy community-dwelling elders. Gait analysis was conducted to compute DJS during the loading response phase. Quadriceps strength and stiffness were evaluated using a Cybex dynamometer and shear-wave ultrasound elastography, respectively. Knee OA was defined based on clinical criteria 24 months later. Logistic regression with generalized estimating equations was used to examine the association between quadriceps properties and DJS and incident knee OA. Mediation analysis was performed to explore the mediation role of DJS in associations between quadriceps properties and the incidence of knee OA.
resultsA total of 125 participants (65.6 ± 4.0 years, 58.4% females) completed the 24-month follow-up, with 36 out of 250 knees identified as clinical knee OA. Higher DJS (OR = 1.86, 95%CI: 1.33-2.62), lower quadriceps strength (1.85, 1.05-3.23), and greater quadriceps stiffness (1.56, 1.10-2.21) were significantly associated with a higher risk of clinical knee OA. Mediation analysis showed that the DJS was not a significant mediator for the associations between quadriceps properties and knee OA.
conclusionsHigher sagittal knee dynamic joint stiffness, lower quadriceps strength, and greater quadriceps stiffness are potential risk factors for developing clinical knee OA in asymptomatic elders. Associations between quadriceps properties and knee OA may not be mediated by dynamic joint stiffness. Interventions for reducing increased passive properties of the quadriceps and knee joint stiffness may be beneficial for maintaining healthy knees in the aging population.
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