An Assessment of Hamstring Flexibility of Subjects with Knee Osteoarthritis and Their Age Matched Control

Most often, attention is focused on management of pains, restricted joint motions and decreased muscle strength in subjects with knee osteoarthritis, with little attention on hamstring flexibility training. The objectives of this study were to assess and compare hamstring flexibility of subjects with knee osteoarthritis with their age matched healthy control. Forty-four subjects with grade III knee osteoarthritis and 58 apparently healthy individuals participated in the study. Hamstring flexibility, pain and knee flexion range of motion of both groups were measured. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistic and parametric inferential statistics [student t-test and Pearson’s product moment correlation]. The result showed that the mean flexibility of apparently healthy individual was significantly higher than that of subjects with knee osteoarthritis [t = 2.84, p<0.001]. Also, there was significant correlation between age, BMI, height and flexibility of the subjects with knee OA [r = -0.453, p = 0.002; r = -0.568 p = 0.034, r = 0.328, p = 0.030] respectively. This study concluded that the mean hamstring flexibility of subjects with knee osteoarthritis was significantly lower than that of apparently healthy individual.