Skip to main content
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases logoLink to Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
. 1975 Aug;34(4):286–291. doi: 10.1136/ard.34.4.286

Quantitative study of stiffness in the knee joint.

C H Such, A Unsworth, V Wright, D Dowson
PMCID: PMC1006416  PMID: 1190848

Abstract

Data from a knee arthrograph, which imparts a passive sinusoidal motion to the joint and measures the resistive torque and displacement, have been shown to be reproducible. Tests carried out on joints (from 49 males, 21 females) showed that the energy loss per cycle of the joint increased with age for both sexes but the peak to peak torque (elastic stiffness) did not vary with age. Muscle bulk had a large influence on the stiffness (both dissipative and elastic) of the knee as did the size of the joint itself. Women's knee joints exhibited lower values of dissipative energy loss and peak to peak torque than men's for all ages and sizes of joints.

Full text

PDF

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. 1958 REVISION of diagnostic criteria for rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1959 Feb;2(1):16–20. doi: 10.1002/1529-0131(195902)2:1<16::aid-art1780020104>3.0.co;2-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bäcklund L., Tiselius P. Objective measurement of joint stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis. Acta Rheumatol Scand. 1967;13(4):275–288. doi: 10.3109/rhe1.1967.13.issue-1-4.23. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dowson D., Wright V., Longfield M. D. Human joint lubrication. Biomed Eng. 1969 Apr;4(4):160–165. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. JEBENS E. H., MONK-JONES M. E. On the viscosity and pH of synovial fluid and the pH of blood. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1959 May;41-B(2):388–400. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.41B2.388. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Macrae I. F., Wright V. Measurement of lumbar spine motion in population studies. Ann Rheum Dis. 1969 May;28(3):329–329. doi: 10.1136/ard.28.3.329-a. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Moll J. M., Wright V. Normal range of spinal mobility. An objective clinical study. Ann Rheum Dis. 1971 Jul;30(4):381–386. doi: 10.1136/ard.30.4.381. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. SCOTT J. T. Morning stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1960 Dec;19:361–368. doi: 10.1136/ard.19.4.361. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. WRIGHT V., JOHNS R. J. Physical factors concerned with the stiffness of normal and diseased joints. Bull Johns Hopkins Hosp. 1960 Apr;106:215–231. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. WRIGHT V., JOHNS R. J. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of joint stiffness in normal subjects and in patients with connective tissue diseases. Ann Rheum Dis. 1961 Mar;20:36–46. doi: 10.1136/ard.20.1.36. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Walker P. S., Dowson D., Longfield M. D., Wright V. "Boosted lubrication" in synovial joints by fluid entrapment and enrichment. Ann Rheum Dis. 1968 Nov;27(6):512–520. doi: 10.1136/ard.27.6.512. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Wright V., Plunkett T. G. Scientific assessment of the results of physical treatment--measurement of stiffness. Ann Phys Med. 1966 Nov;8(8):280–291. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES