Journal of geriatric physical therapy
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J Geriatr Phys Ther · Jul 2015
Examination of muscle strength and pressure pain thresholds in knee osteoarthritis: test-retest reliability and agreement.
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is associated with reduced muscle strength and pain sensitization. The purpose of this study was to determine intrarater reliability and agreement (measurement error) of isometric knee extensor and flexor muscle strength assessed using handheld dynamometry and of pressure pain thresholds (PPT; a measure of pain sensitization) from the knee, the leg, and the forearm assessed using handheld algometry in knee OA. ⋯ Examination of muscle strength and PPTs in knee OA is reliable, but affected by the measurement error, which is important to consider when reporting the results of clinical trials and in clinical practice.