Assessment of postural stability in women with hip osteoarthritis: A case–control study

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assessment the impact of hip osteoarthritis on postural stability. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-five randomly selected women 20–85 years old (mean age of 49 ± 24.4 years) were assigned to three groups based on age, health status and activity level. Group 1 (cases) – elderly women with diagnosed hip osteoarthritis, group 2 (control) - women without hip osteoarthritis, and group 3 (control) - healthy young women. Assessment of postural stability were measured using a WIN-POD Pel 38 electronic podometer. Statistica 10 software was used to perform t-test resulting in significance level of p < 0.05. RESULTS: Significant differences in pedobarographic balance measurements were observed between the study groups with eyes opened or closed (deviation length eyes open: group 1–3 and 2–3 p < 0.0001; eyes closed group 1–2 p = 0.19; 1–3 and 2–3 p < 0.0001; deviation area eyes open: group 1-3 and 2–3 p < 0.0001; eyes closed group 1–3 and 2–3 p < 0.0001; deviation velocity eyes open: group1-3 and 2–3 p < 0.0001; eyes closed group 1–2 p < 0.010, 1–3 and 2–3 p < 0.0001). The poorest postural stability was observed in patients with hip osteoarthritis (deviation length eyes open vs eyes closed 180.8/201.7 p = 0.028, deviation area 128.7/145.7 p = 0.771, deviation velocity 5.1/6.1 p < 0.0001), and the best postural stability was observed in young women (deviation length 111.3/137.5 p < 0.0001, deviation area 57/76.9 p = 0.003, deviation velocity 3.4/4.2 p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: (1) Osteoarthritic degeneration of the hip joint results in a significant disturbance in proprioception. This finding was reflected by the inferior stability parameters collected from subjects with hip osteoarthritis when asked to stand with their eyes closed. These finding were not observed in the other groups. (2) The disorder of the body stability of people with osteoarthritis may be a relative indication for the implantation of hip arthroplasty.