Prevalence of sarcopenia and fear of falling among patients who submitted total knee arthroplasty at Thammasat University Hospital: A preliminary cross-sectional study
Keywords:
sarcopenia, knee osteoarthritis, total knee arthroplasty, fear of fallingAbstract
Background: Sarcopenia is a progressive disorder of the muscles and body, leading to adverse outcomes. It results in various complications, including falls, fractures, disabilities, and mortality. Osteoarthritis is a disease caused by the degeneration of the musculoskeletal system, with knee osteoarthritis being the most prevalent. This often leads to total knee arthroplasty which It helps relieve pain, enhance physical performance, restore mobility, and improve patients' quality of life. There is a noted prevalence of falls in patients both before and after surgery.
Objective: To examine the prevalence of sarcopenia and compare the groups of sarcopenia and fear of falling in patients with knee osteoarthritis awaiting total knee arthroplasty.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in patients with knee osteoarthritis who were scheduled to undergo total knee arthroplasty at Thammasat University Hospital, aged 50 years or older. All participants were screened for sarcopenia according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 Consensus. Bioelectrical impedance analysis, handgrip strength, and the short physical performance battery test were used to assess muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance, respectively. In addition, participants were asked to complete the Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-I) Thai version.
Results: In over 100 participants, the all prevalence of sarcopenia was 32%, categorized to sarcopenia was 9%, severe sarcopenia was 23%, and possible sarcopenia was found 66%. In addition, the difference between sarcopenia groups was found to have statistically significant differences in fear of falling (p=0.014) compared to the group without sarcopenia.
Conclusion: The prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with knee osteoarthritis awaiting total knee arthroplasty in this study was relatively high, with the severe sarcopenia group having a high level of fear of falling.
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