Relation Of Walking Cadence To Changes In Knee Pain: The Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study

Purpose: Greater knee joint loading during walking is a well-established risk factor for OA progression, pain, and functional worsening. Individuals who walk with a low cadence (low number of steps taken per minute) have greater loading and an increased risk of cartilage worsening compared to individuals who walk with a high cadence. However, no studies to date have investigated the relation of cadence to pain progression in those with knee OA. The aim of this study was to determine the association of walking cadence to incident and worsening knee pain over 2 years in adults with or at risk for knee OA.