Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41087117›Full record

Observational studyBMJ open2025

Predictors of pain and cartilage damage in patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis: stair descent knee kinematics and kinetics.

Eric Hammond, Joshua Johnson, Titus Haley, Jusuk Lee, Matthew D Bucknor, Zehra Akkaya, Virginie Kreutzinger, Fei Jiang, Valentina Pedoia, Sharmila Majumdar and 1 more

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

11 authors.

Eric HammondDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA eric.hammond@ucsf.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-8230-0884
Joshua JohnsonDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Titus HaleyDepartment of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Jusuk LeeDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Matthew D BucknorDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Zehra AkkayaDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Virginie KreutzingerDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Fei JiangDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Valentina PedoiaDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Sharmila MajumdarDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Richard B SouzaDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.

Funding

Simultaneous Imaging of Tissue Biochemistry and Metabolism associated with Biomechanics in Patella Femoral Joint OsteoarthritisR01AR079647 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI Sharmila Majumdar, Richard Brian Souza · 2022 to 2026
$3.4M
Mentoring Biomechanics Research in OsteoarthritisK24AR072133 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI Richard Brian Souza · 2018 to 2026
$1.5M
NIAMS NIH HHS K24 AR072133NIAMS NIH HHS R01 AR079647
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo identify gait biomechanical characteristics associated with pain and cartilage damage in individuals with patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis (PFJ OA) during a stair descent activity.

designCross-sectional observational study.

settingUniversity-based motion analysis laboratory and musculoskeletal imaging centre.

participants83 participants entered the study; 66 participants (41 female, 25 male) completed all components required for this analysis. Participants were recruited via electronic health records following clinical knee MRI. Inclusion criteria included MRI-confirmed patellofemoral cartilage lesions using Whole Organ MRI Score (WORMS) gradings (WORMS >1), pain during stair ambulation, body mass index (BMI) ≤35 and informed consent. Exclusion criteria were tibiofemoral abnormalities (WORMS >1), prior knee trauma, gait-altering conditions, MRI contraindications or pregnancy. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcomes included knee joint kinematics and during stair descent, assessed during three-dimensional motion capture, patient-reported outcomes from the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) questionnaire and WORMS gradings to assess severity of cartilage abnormalities. Regression analyses were performed to examine correlations of biomechanics, age and BMI with pain and cartilage damage. Analyses were also performed on male and female participants separately.

resultsSignificant associations were found between biomechanical characteristics and KOOS scores (pain, symptoms and patellofemoral) as well as cartilage damage. For the whole cohort, greater knee flexion at late stance was linked to worse KOOS scores (β=0.53 to 0.71, p<0.05), while age was correlated with more severe cartilage damage (β=0.06, p=0.00). In males, higher sagittal knee moments (β=-640.21 to -707.59, p<0.05) and lower frontal knee moments (β=-530.70 to -904.27, p<0.05) were associated with worse KOOS scores, while in females, greater knee flexion (β=0.79 to 1.1, p<0.05) and abduction (β=-0.15, p=0.02), as well as lower sagittal knee moments (β=294.26, p=0.01) were linked to more severe cartilage damage and worse KOOS scores.

conclusionsAltered knee biomechanics during stair descent are linked to worse knee pain, function and cartilage damage in PFJ OA, with sex-specific differences emphasising the need for individualised interventions to address movement abnormalities.

Indexed as

ArthralgiaCartilage, ArticularGaitKnee JointOsteoarthritis, KneePainPatellofemoral JointStair ClimbingAdultAgedBiomechanical PhenomenaBody Mass IndexCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingGaitMagnetic Resonance ImagingREHABILITATION MEDICINE

Identifiers

PMID41087117
PMCPMC12519704

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.