Symptoms of knee instability in older adults may indicate an increased risk of falling and of experiencing the various physical and psychological effects that can result from falling.

A study published in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), emphasises that effective treatments for knee instability should be an important priority as clinicians care for aging patients.

Knee buckling, often described as a knee “giving way,” is a symptom of knee instability that frequently affects older individuals, in particular those with knee pain and knee osteoarthritis (OA), and may be caused by muscle weakness and balance difficulties.

If knee instability leads to frequent falls and fall-related injuries, exercises and other interventions that stabilise the knee may help maintain older individuals’ health and quality of life.