## 1 Introduction  
Mechanical vibration (MV) stimuli have been used in interventions, such as training or therapy, to improve biological parameters, including the functional capacity of individuals with different diseases [1]. In the context of therapy, the effects of MV may be explained in different ways, such as the tonic vibration reflex [2], via the central nervous system [3,4], and via mechanotransduction [5,6], where the mechanical stimuli lead to beneficial biological responses [5]. MV can be applied to the individual's body systemically [7] or locally [8], depending on their specific clinical condition [9].  
MV produced on the vibrating platform (VP) can be transmitted to individuals in contact with the base of the VP (e.g., orthostatic position, squat or sitting on an assistant chair positioned in front of the VP), generating the whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise in the SVT [5,10]. SVT has been considered safe and effective for the management of individuals with different clinical conditions [10,11]. When the individuals have difficulty in maintaining an orthostatic position, squat, or have undergone lower-limb surgery and may not have the benefits of the SVT, alternatively, the LVT can be used [12]. In LVT, the MV is delivered directly to a specific tendon or muscle region through a portable device, promoting physiological responses [8,9]. In recent decades, SVT and LVT have been used for the management of different diseases [13,14,15], such as KOA [16].  
KOA is a chronic and degenerative disease with inflammatory characteristics, in which the knee joint is affected, leading to pain, instability, crepitus, tenderness, stiffness, and limited mobility, which together reduce functional capacity [17,18]. In consequence, KOA individuals often struggle to perform daily activities [19]. According to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), KOA affects approximately 364.6 million people worldwide, an estimated 4.9% of the world's population [20]. Aging is a major risk factor, with approximately 10% of individuals over 55 years affected, particularly women [18,21,22]. Furthermore, excess body load caused by obesity contributes to disease development and progression [23].  
Clinically, KOA is diagnosed using knee radiographs, complementing the physical examination of the joint [24]. The Kellgren-Lawrence Scale [25] and Ahlback classification [26] are the most used tools to assess KOA severity. KOA has no cure, and treatment aims to relieve pain, restore joint function, and slow disease progression [27]. Accordingly, regular physical exercise helps strengthen muscles, improve joint stability, control body mass, and reduce pain [28,29]. However, individuals with KOA demonstrate difficulty to adhere to exercise programs due to disease-related comorbidities [20,30,31]. Both SVT and LVT show benefits in improving the knee extensor strength, physical function, pain reduction, and increase in the range of motion (ROM) in KOA individuals [13,14,32,33,34].  
In this context, studies [35,36] have demonstrated favorable impacts of SVT and LVT on the functional capacity in KOA individuals. However, no systematic review has yet synthesized the evidence regarding these effects. Therefore, the aim of the current systematic review is comprehensively to summarize the literature related to the effects of SVT and LVT on the functional capacity of KOA individuals.