The tuning fork as a method of measuring vibratory perception in osteoarthritis of the knee

Vibratory Perception Threshold (VPT) is a sensory measure that is commonly used to evaluate diabetic neuropathy and has been associated with neuropathic arthropathy. Studies at our institution have shown that subjects with knee OA and hip OA have generalized vibratory sense deficits with impaired VPT at the upper and lower extremities compared to age matched controls. 2 Current hypotheses for the role of sensory deficits in OA suggest that they may be mechanistically important in lower extremity OA pathogenesis. It is important for future studies to further evaluate the role of these deficits and correlate them with other pathophysiologic factors in OA. In recent OA studies, VPT has been measured using a biothesiometer. Here we sought to investigate a more clinically feasible method of assessing VPT by the use of a tuning fork so that the testing method may be incorporated more easily into large clinical studies. We also sought to characterize the sensory deficits with other demographic and OA disease parameters. Our main hypothesis is that tuning fork measurements will correlate with biothesiometer measurements and therefore, the tuning fork may be used as an alternative method to assess VPT