Strength, Laxity, and Position Sense in OA Progression

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant):Few strategies to prevent disease progression and disability in the setting ofknee osteoarthritis (OA) exist, large part due to limited knowledge of thefactors responsible for these outcomes. This deficiency of knowledge not onlyhinders development of novel strategies that target these factors, it alsoclouds our ability to identify individuals who are unlikely to benefit from agiven prevention approach. The broad goal of our work is to identify thefactors that contribute to OA disease progression and functional status declinethe goal of the proposed study is to examine the relationship of 3 localjoint-organ factors with 2-year disease progression and functional decline in acohort of 300 subjects with knee OA: strength, within subsets of OA knees;medial and lateral laxity; and limb position sense during a locomotor task,ergometer pedaling. Progression will be assessed using both radiographic andMRI-based measures, and functional decline using observed and self-reportmeasuresThe proposed infrastructure. Since 1997, we have been studying a cohort ofsubjects with knee OA. In this natural history study (MAK, the study ofMechanical Factors in Arthritis of the Knee), time 0 and 1.5 year visits arecompleted and 3 year visits are ongoing. The ongoing MAK study includesradiographic and functional assessments, but no MRI. Support for components ofthe next phase of this study to occur 2002-2007, including MRI evaluations, hasbeen procured, substantially reducing the cost required to examine thequestions posed in the current proposal. The 2 visits of the proposed studywill occur at 5 (the first of the proposed study and 7 years on the MAKtimeline.Strength, laxity, and joint position sense may each influence both structuraland functional outcome of as vv t knee 0A. I He proposed study will provideimportant information regarding these factors that will be directly applicableto the development of strategies to prevent disease progression and disability.