Free accessResearch articleFirst published online 2011-6
Outcome Study of Non-operative Treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis in Middle-aged Patients with Reference to the Body Mass Index—A Randomised Prospective Study
From the year 2006 to 2008, 69 patients of symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knees were divided randomly and entered into three non-operative treatment protocols. It included 4 weeks of pharmacological treatment followed by 4 weeks of specific treatments (physiotherapy, acupuncture, and combined). The pretreatment and post-treatment physical and functional statuses were evaluated. Their body mass index (BMI) was measured. The patients with below-normal BMI did not benefit from all the three treatment protocols. However, all other groups of increased BMI did benefit from all three treatment protocols in terms of pain score, analgesic sparing, and knee scores.
DeyleGD, HendersonNE, MatekelRL, Effectiveness of manual physical therapy and exercise in osteoarthritis of the knee. A randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med2000;1:173–81.
2.
HuangMH, LinYS, YangRC, A comparison of various therapeutic exercises on the functional status of patients with knee osteoarthritis. Semin Arthritis Rheum2003;32:398–406.
3.
EzzoJ, HadhazyV, BirchS, Acupuncture for osteoarthritis of the knee: a systematic review. Arthritis Rheum2001;44:819–25.
4.
CoggonD, ReadingI, CroftP, Knee osteoarthritis and obesity. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord2001;25:622–7.
5.
RichmondJ, HunterD, IrrgangJ, Treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee (nonarthroplasty). J Am Acad Orthop Surg2009;17:591–600.
6.
InsallJN, DorrLD, ScottRD, Rationale of the Knee Society Clinical Rating System. Clin Orthop1989;248:13–4.
