Affiliations: [a] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey | [b] Department of Public Health, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Demirhan Diracoglu, Fatma Sultan Mah, Cayir Meydani Cad, Mustafa Bey Apt. 11/6, 34093 Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey. Tel.: +902124142000; Fax: +902126213380; E-mail: demirhan1@yahoo.com
Abstract: Objective:Strengthening exercises are given frequently to the patients with knee osteoarthritis. It is known that these patients have proprioceptive deficits. The effect of the kinesthesia exercises which aim to improve proprioception is not known in the knee osteoarthritis. The aim was to compare kinesthetic plus strengthening exercises vs. strengthening exercise alone, and to determine the effects of these exercises on the pain and functional status of women with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis (OA) in the long term. Methods:Sixty women with knee OA were included in the study. “Kinesthesia-strengthening group” performed kinesthesia/balance exercises as well as strengthening exercises, while the “strengthening group” performed only strengthening exercises. Patients were evaluated by Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), Lequesne algofunctional index, and Beck depression inventory. Results:After the completion of the exercises, significant improvements occurred in both the groups in all the study parameters (p < 0.05). The comparison of the groups at week 8 showed that the results in SF-36 vitality, WOMAC-total score, Lequesne index and Beck depression inventory parameters in the kinesthesia-strengthening group were significantly better than those in the strengthening group (p < 0.05). Similarly, the comparison of the groups at the end of year 1 demonstrated that the results in WOMAC-pain, WOMAC-stiffness, WOMAC-physical function and WOMAC-total score in the kinesthesia-strengthening group were significantly beter than those in the strengthening group (p < 0.05). Conclusion:Carried out for one year, kinesthesia and balance exercises seem to be superior to strengthening exercises only on WOMAC parameters in women with mild to moderate knee OA.
