EFFECTIVENESS OF RETROWALKING IN OSTEOARTHRITIS OF KNEE ? A REVIEW ARTICLE.

Osteoarthritis (OA) also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis, is a group of mechanical abnormalities involving degradation of joints, including articular cartilage and subchondral bone. Walking is one of the most common movements all performances, and there is the potential that a personals walking style may damage their cartilage and thus cause the initiation of OA. Patients with knee Osteoarthritis seems to develop their own gait pattern and try to unload the affected structures during gait. More over patients with less severe knee osteoarthritis develop a gait pattern that differs from patients with severe osteoarthritis and control group of patients. This prolonged usage of secondary gait compensation creates greater imbalances of muscle, progressively reduces muscle strength, endurance, flexibility and later ending to deformity. Retro walking has more advantageous effects compare to forward walking. It increases stride rate, decreases stride length and increases support time and reduces overall range of motion of knee thereby increase active functional range. Considering the advantageous effect of Retro Walking with respect to forward walking in decreasing the compressive load on knee and improving the muscular strength in functional range. Retro walking training to overcome pain and physical dysfunction in patients suffering from chronic OA knee.