Acute effects of an exercise based multimodal in-patient rehabilitation protocol in male knee osteoarthritis patients and the two years follow-up sustainability

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Pietsch, Aki^{a; b; c; *} | Schroeder, Jan^c | Dalichau, Stefan^d | Reer, Rüdiger^c | Engel, Daniel^e | Wahl-Wachendorf, Anette^{e; f} | Solbach, Thomas^{e; f} | Edler, Christopher^{a; b} | Riepenhof, Helge^{a; b}

Affiliations: [a] Department of Sports and Rehabilitation Medicine, BG Trauma Hospital of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany | [b] BG Rehabilitation Center City Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany | [c] Department of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Institute of Human Movement Science, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany | [d] BG Ambulanz Bremen, Bremen, Germany | [e] German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Building Trade (Headquarter), Berlin, Germany | [f] Occupational Health Service of the German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Building Trade, Berlin, Germany

Correspondence: [*] Address for correspondence: Aki Pietsch. E-mail: a.pietsch@bgk-hamburg.de.

Abstract: BACKGROUND:Working with lifting and carrying heavy loads and kneeling postures with crawling, squats or heel seat position lead to progressive cartilage wear with premature degenerative changes. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of the exercise based multimodal ‘knee college’ and its sustainability in patients with knee osteoarthritis with data assessments before and after a starter course, before a 1-year and a 2-year follow-up refresher course in a retrospective observational study. METHODS:A sample of 401 male patients (ICD10: M17 [arthrosis of knee]/ICF: s75011 [knee joint]) from the construction industries were assessed with Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), EuroQol (EQ-5D), Performance Assessment Capacity Testing (PACT), Isokinetic torque H/Q ratio and Physical Work Capacity Test (PWC). Retrospectively, after two years they were divided into three groups based on their intermediate sporting activity: gym (n = 194, age: 50.8±7.0, BMI: 28.8±4,3), home training (n = 110, age: 50.2±7.0, BMI: 28.4±4,2), no exercising (n = 97, age: 48.2±7.0, BMI: 29.2±4,6). RESULTS:Patients did not differ significantly in their demographic and anthropometric data prior to the rehab program. Significant interaction effects indicated group-dependent differing sustainability effects for the 2-year follow-up (all outcomes: p < 0.001, except for H/Q ratio: p = 0.03). Group-wise analyses revealed significant acute improvements (after 3-week in-patient starter rehab program: p < 0.05) for all groups in almost all outcomes (except the ‘no sport’ group, H/Q ratio p = 0.08). These effects remained significant (p < 0.001) only for the ‘gym’ group during the 1-year and 2-year follow-up. CONCLUSION:Our data indicate that 2-year sustainability of acute rehabilitation starter effects was demonstrated especially for patients with adherence and compliance to long-term gym based exercises.

Keywords: Strength training, early intervention, prevention, workers

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-205264

Journal: Work, vol. 75, no. 4, pp. 1243-1253, 2023