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Objective To compare the gait of adults with unilateral and bilateral symptomatic and radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA) to determine whether these subgroups can be treated similarly in the clinic and when recruiting for randomized clinical trials, and to use these data to generate future hypotheses regarding gait in these subsets of knee OA patients. Methods Cross-sectional investigation of patients with unilateral and bilateral knee OA on gait mechanics using 136 older adults (age ≥ 55 yrs.; 27 kg.m−2 ≥ BMI ≤ 41 kg.m−2; 82% female) with radiographic knee OA. Comparisons were made between the most affected side of the bilateral group (Bi) and the affected side of the unilateral group (Uni), and between symmetry indices of each group. Results There were no significant differences in any temporal, kinematic, or kinetic measures between the Uni and Bi cohorts. Comparison of symmetry indices between groups also revealed no significant differences. Conclusion The similarity in lower extremity mechanics between unilateral and bilateral knee OA patients is sufficiently robust to consider both subsets as a single cohort. We hypothesize that biomechanical adaptations to knee OA are at least partially systemic in origin and not based solely on the physiological characteristics of an affected knee joint.

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Objective To investigate the effects of a 12-week movement-to-music (M2M) intervention on physical and psychosocial outcomes in people poststroke. Design Two-arm randomized controlled trial. Setting A community-based fitness facility. Participants Participants (N=47) with stroke between 18 and 65 years old were randomized to M2M (n=23) or waitlist control (n=24). Interventions Participants in M2M completed 3 60-minute exercise sessions per week for 12 weeks. Controls received biweekly educational newsletters via mail. Main Outcome Measures Primary outcomes included Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT, in meters), Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test (FTSST, in seconds) and Timed Up and Go (TUG, in seconds). Secondary outcomes were self-reported measures using Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Fatigue and Pain Interference Short Form 8a. Outcomes were collected at baseline and postintervention. Analyses involved descriptive statistics and adjusted linear mixed models. Results Mixed models adjusted for the respective baseline values and demographic variables showed that M2M participants had longer 6MWT distance (least square mean difference [LSM], 14.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], −12.9 to 42.0), more FTSST time (LSM, 2.0; 95% CI, −4.5 to 8.5), and less fatigue (LSM, −3.0; 95% CI, −7.2 to 1.2) compared with controls postintervention. When controlling for baseline TUG and demographic variables, there was a larger increase in 6MWT distance (LSM, 37.9; 95% CI, −22.7 to 98.6), lower FTSST time (LSM, −6.1; 95% CI, −18.5 to 6.2), and decrease in fatigue (LSM, −6.5; 95% CI, −13.1 to 0.2) in the M2M group compared with controls. Moderate effect sizes were observed for improving 6MWT ( d =0.6), FTSST ( d =−0.6), and fatigue ( d =−0.6). There was no group difference in change in TUG time and pain interference, with trivial effect sizes ( d =−0.1). Conclusion M2M may be a valuable exercise form for adults with stroke. Future studies are needed to determine optimal exercise doses for improving health and function in this population.

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