The Effect of Volitional Transversus Abdominis Contraction on Time to Peak Sagittal Ground Reaction Force in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

This will be the first study on this topic performed by the investigator. Regarding current knowledge gaps, evidence has shown an influence of core strength measures/stability on lower extremity function. This relationship has been examined very little in patients with knee OA; however, evidence does show a correlation exists. There have been no studies examining the effect of a core strengthening/stability intervention on lower extremity kinetics in patients with knee OA to the PIs knowledge.

This is the first study examining the effects of TA contraction knee loading during gait in this population.

Current evidence shows that core activation/stability may play a role in lower extremity kinetics and kinematics. Most research has focused on younger, more athletic individuals. Research on this population has in the past looked at patellofemoral disorders or ligamentous injury. For example, decreased core function has been shown to increase the risk of sustaining anterior cruciate ligament injury. In addition, increased core stability has resulted in decreased knee loading during athletic activities.

There continues to be an overall paucity of research on proper prescription and dosage of therapeutic exercise for patients with knee OA. Evidence has shown that quadriceps strengthening and aerobic conditioning do lead to decreased disability. Additionally, patients with knee osteoarthritis have decreased postural stability as compared to healthy controls, with a significant correlation being observed between their score on a postural stability measure and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index. Patients with knee OA also exhibit decreased overall core stability as compared to healthy controls. This body of research however does not include any evidence on the effects of a core stability intervention on improving overall function.

Knee OA leads to abnormalities in kinetic loading of the lower extremity during ambulation. An increase in T1 in this population has been observed when comparing to healthy controls. Separately, studies have shown that in patients with knee OA, knee joint loading can be influenced by intraarticular hyaluronic acid injections, resulting in decreased T1. Therefore, this study will explore the idea of how activation of a muscle (TA), which plays a large role in core stability, influences kinetic loading (T1) during ambulation in patients with knee OA.