Relation of Side Step Length with Dynamic Balance in Patients with Bilateral Knee Osteoarthritis

Background: Knee osteoarthritis is a prevalent, multifactorial joint disease that progresses over time and is marked by functional impairment and persistent discomfort. Objective: To find out the relation of side step length with dynamic balance in patients with bilateral knee osteoarthritis. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 participants with bilateral knee osteoarthritis. The study settings were Allied Hospital, Reactive Rehabilitation Clinic, and Pro-health Rehab and Medical Centre. The participants of both genders with an age between 40-65 years, who can walk 10 meters unassisted, and diagnosed with bilateral knee osteoarthritis, were included in the study. Participants with a history of any neurological disorders that would affect balance, any history of joint replacement in lower limbs, which could affect balance, and visual field defects were excluded from the study. Data was collected using a Berg balance scale, side step length test, and dynamic gate index from willing individuals after gaining consent from participants. Data was analysed by using descriptive statistics, and the chi-square test was applied. Permission from the ethical committee of the university was obtained before the commencement of the study. Results: Results reveal that dynamic balance and side step length were related to the age and gender of the patient. Most of the elderly patients with an age above 55 years had mild impairment with poor side step length. The majority of the females were facing mild impairment with fair side step length. A moderate association was found between the Berg balance scale, the dynamic gait index, and side step length. The majority of subjects had poor side-step length without any balance disturbance. Subjects with mild impairment with the gait index had poor side step length. Conclusion: This highlights a positive correlation between side-step length, Berg balance scale, and dynamic gait index in individuals with bilateral knee osteoarthritis. Most participants exhibited mild balance impairments and reduced side step length, supporting findings from previous research. It emphasises the need for clinicians to assess dynamic balance and step length in these patients. Further studies with larger samples and longer durations are recommended to validate and expand upon these findings.