Several individual RCTs demonstrated clinical ly important improvements in pain and disability with aerobic exercise .
Other PT interventions demonstrated no sustained benefit .
Individual RCTs showed similar benefits with aerobic , aquatic , and strengthening exercise .
Adverse events were uncommon and did not deter participants from continuing treatment .
Low-strength evidence suggested that only a few PT interventions were effective .
BACKGROUND Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of disability .
Nonsurgical treatment is a key first step .
PURPOSE Systematic literature review of physical therapy ( PT ) interventions for community-dwelling adults with knee osteoarthritis .
Preliminary results of integrated therapy for patients with knee osteoarthritis.
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of integrated therapy on the functional status of patients with knee osteoarthritis ( OA ) . METHODS A total of 140 subjects with bilateral knee OA ( Altman grade II ) were r and omized sequentially into 4 groups ( groups I-IV ) . Group I received isokinetic exercises ; group II received isokinetic exercise and pulse ultrasound for periarticular soft tissue pain ; group III received isokinetic exercise , pulse ultrasound , and intraarticular hyaluronan therapy ; and group IV acted as the control group . The therapeutic effects of the interventions were evaluated by changes in Lequesne 's index , knee range of motion , peak muscle torques of knee flexion and extension , and ambulation speed after 8 weeks of treatment and at followup 1 year later . In addition , changes in visual analog scale pain and rates of attrition in each group were also recorded . RESULTS Patients in groups I-III exhibited increased muscle peak torques and significantly reduced pain and disability after treatment and at followup . Groups II and III showed significant improvements in range of motion and ambulation speed after treatment . Group III also showed the greatest increase in walking speed and decrease in disability after treatment and at followup . Both group II and group III had significant gains in muscular strength after treatment and at followup ; group III showed the greatest gains . CONCLUSION An integrated therapy deals with the extra- and intraarticular progressive pathologic changes , and kinesiologic management of OA is suggested for the management of knee OA
Several individual RCTs demonstrated clinical ly important improvements in pain and disability with aerobic exercise .
Other PT interventions demonstrated no sustained benefit .
Individual RCTs showed similar benefits with aerobic , aquatic , and strengthening exercise .
Adverse events were uncommon and did not deter participants from continuing treatment .
Low-strength evidence suggested that only a few PT interventions were effective .
BACKGROUND Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of disability .
Nonsurgical treatment is a key first step .
PURPOSE Systematic literature review of physical therapy ( PT ) interventions for community-dwelling adults with knee osteoarthritis .