Age- and Speed-Related Changes in Gait Parameters of Adult Women with Osteoarthritis of the Hip

We conducted this cross-sectional study to elucidate age- and speed-related changes in gait parameters of adult women with osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip using simple timed normal and maximum walking tests on a 10 m walkway. The study included 42 women, who were divided into four age groups : G40 (35-44 years, n = 9), G 50 (45-54 years, n = 18), G 60 .(55-64 years, n = 10), and G 70 (65-74 years, n = 5). Test-retest reliability coefficient for three gait parameters (speed, step length, and cadence (step frequency)) during normal and maximum walking was shown to be excellent (all r > 0.85, Pearson's correlation). We found a steep decline in normal and maximum walking speeds from G60 to G 70 at a 6.3% and 8.5% per decade, respectively, which were much smaller than previously reported for normal adults by others and were considered due to slower speeds in G40 to G60. From normal to maximum walking, a percent increase in cadence was significantly greater than that in step length for G40 and G50, suggesting an altered strategy to increase walking speed in the presence of the limited hip rotation as primary joint impairment. These results suggest that hip OA affects gait parameters significantly in middle aged subjects