Work

Comparison of three different therapeutic interventions in the management of knee osteoarthritis: Randomized controlled parallel group pilot trial

Year: 2025

Type: article

Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial

Abstract: Objective: The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of different physical interventions on pain intensity, knee function, and quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: This pilot trial involved 63 patients (45-55 yrs) in a rehabilitation center. Patients were randomly assigned to three groups: therapeutic exercise alone (TE, n = 21), TE and cryotherapy (TE-Cr, n = 21), and TE and joint mobilization (TE-JM, n = 21). The primary outcome was pain intensity, secondary outcomes included knee joint function (WOMAC), muscle strength, knee joint range of motion (ROM), and quality of life (SF-36). Data were collected at baseline and after 18 days of inpatient rehabilitation. Results: There were no significant between-group differences in the primary outcome at baseline. After 18 days, all intervention groups showed significant improvements (p < 0.05). The TE-JM group reported lower (p < 0.05) pain levels (3.24 ± 1.04) compared to the TE-only (4.76 ± 0.77) and TE-Cr (4.86 ± 0.57) groups. The TE-Cr group had a lower (p < 0.05) SF-36 total score (52.81 ± 10.50) than the TE (62.00 ± 9.74) and TE-JM (66.62 ± 2.87) groups. No significant between-group differences were observed in ROM or muscle strength. The WOMAC total score was lower (p < 0.05) in the TE-JM group (27.3 ± 13.9) compared to the TE-Cr group (40.1 ± 10.7). Conclusion: Although all three interventions had beneficial short-term effects, leading to reductions in knee pain and improvements in physical function and quality of life, but no single intervention demonstrated superior effectiveness across all assessed outcomes. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05636059.

Source: Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open

DOI: 10.1016/j.ocarto.2025.100697

Authors: Vilma Dudonienė, Daumantas Bitinas, Laura Žlibinaitė

Institution: Lithuanian Sports University

Language: English

Topic: Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation

Subfield: Pharmacology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,610