Background/Purpose: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a known risk factor for falling, but little is known about what factors contribute to the risk of falling among people with knee OA. Our purpose was to identify factors that contributed to an individual with knee OA experiencing one or multiple (≥2) falls within an 18-month follow-up period.

Methods: Data from the baseline and 18-month follow-up of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) of individuals aged 45-85 who reported doctor diagnosed knee OA at baseline were analyzed. At the follow-up, individuals reported if they experienced 0, 1, ≥2 falls in the past year where they were hurt enough to limit some of their normal activities. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to assess predictors of reporting falls at follow-up (≥2, 1, 0 (referent group)). Self-reported and performance-based predictors were considered: age, sex, body mass index, alcohol use, sleeping problems, vision problems, previous fall, neurological condition, respiratory condition, incontinence, depression, other types of arthritis, other chronic conditions, and the timed up and go, chair rise, 4-metre walk, and standing balance tests.

Results: 4,495 individuals reporting knee OA at baseline were included (15% of the CLSA sample). Fourteen percent reported a fall(s) at follow-up: 10% reported 1 fall, 4% reported ≥2 falls. Reporting a past fall, taking depression medication, and having a worse standing balance time was associated with an increased risk of any number of future falls. Being female and having troubles sleeping were associated with an increased risk of having 1 fall, while specific comorbidities (e.g. diabetes, depression) were associated with an increased risk of ≥2 falls. Older individuals were not more likely than younger individuals to experience multiple falls.

Conclusion: There are differences between the predictors of one versus multiple falls among individuals with knee OA. Some of these are potentially modifiable with opportunities for clinical intervention and fall prevention strategies. Relationships between risk factors and falling among individuals with knee OA can be complex. There is a need for better understanding these relationships in OA.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/risk-factors-for-falls-among-individuals-with-knee-oa-a-longitudinal-community-based-study/