Impact of low back pain, knee pain, and timed up-and-go test on quality of life in community-living people

The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) has proposed the term "locomotive syndrome" (LS) to designate a condition in people from high-risk groups with musculoskeletal disease who are highly likely to require nursing care at some point. This syndrome is caused by weakening of the musculoskeletal organs such as bone, joint, and muscle. The current study investigated factors that influence quality of life (QOL) loss caused by LS, which builds upon our previous study showing that LS affects individuals' QOL. We enrolled 386 subjects > 50 years old. Sex, age, body mass index and bone mineral density, plus physical function tests of grip strength, back muscle strength, maximum stride, 10-m gait time, functional reach (cm), timed up-and-go test (TUG) (s) and one-leg standing time (s), and the visual analogue scale assessments for leg numbness and knee, low back and leg pain were selected as independent variables in a multiple regression model for the JOA Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire (JOABPEQ), the Short Form-36 (SF-36), and the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) scores. Low back pain contributed significantly to all JOABPEQ scores. Knee pain and TUG contributed significantly to 4/5 and 3/5 of the JOABPEQ scores, respectively. Age, TUG, knee pain, and low back pain contributed significantly to the RDQ and the physical component summary of the SF-36. Low back and knee pain proved to be significant contributors to individuals' QOL. TUG might be the most valuable function test for effectively evaluating an individual's QOL.