Lower leg muscle atrophy in ankle osteoarthritis

The aim of this study was to determine changes in the lower leg muscles associated with ankle osteoarthritis. Fifteen unilateral ankle osteoarthritis patients and fifteen age‐gender‐matched normal subjects were assessed with clinical [osteoarthritis latency time, pain, alignment, AOFAS ankle score, ankle range of motion (ROM), calf circumference], radiological (ankle osteoarthritis grading), and muscular‐physiological parameters [isometric maximal voluntary ankle torque, surface electromyography of the anterior tibial (AT), medial gastrocnemius (MG), soleus (SO), and peroneus longus (PL) muscle]. The osteoarthritis patients had increased pain (6.8 points) and reduced AOFAS score (33.7 points) compared to the control group. Compared to the contralateral healthy leg, the arthritic leg showed reduced mean dorsi‐/plantar flexion ROM (16.0°), reduced mean calf circumference (2.1 cm), smaller mean dorsiflexion (16.4 Nm) and plantar flexion (15.8 Nm) torques, lower mean electromyography frequency for all muscles (AT −22.6 Hz; MG −27.3 Hz; SO −25.9 Hz; PL −28.5 Hz), and lower mean electromyography intensity in the AT [−28.0 × 10³ (µv)²], MG [−13.3 × 10³ (µv)²], and PL [−12.8 × 10³ (µv)²]. SO mean electromyography intensity was not significantly changed [+2.0 × 10³ (µv)²]. Unilateral ankle osteoarthritis is associated with atrophic changes of the lower leg muscles. This study supports previous observations on muscle dysfunction in knee osteoarthritis.