Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 86, Issue 8 , Pages 1545-1551, August 2005

Use of Ultrasound to Increase Effectiveness of Isokinetic Exercise for Knee Osteoarthritis

  • Mao-Hsiung Huang, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests to Mao-Hsiung Huang, MD, PhD, Dept of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, No.100 Tzyou 1st Rd, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Yueh-Shuang Lin, MS

      Affiliations

    • Kun-Shan University of Technology, Tainan, Taiwan.
    • ,
  • Chia-Ling Lee, MD

      Affiliations

    • Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung
    • ,
  • Rei-Cheng Yang, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • School of Sport Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung

Abstract 

Huang M-H, Lin Y-S, Lee C-L, Yang R-C. Use of ultrasound to increase effectiveness of isokinetic exercise for knee osteoarthritis.

Objective

To investigate the effects of ultrasound (US) in isokinetic muscle strengthening exercises on functional status of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Design

Effectiveness of isokinetic muscle strengthening exercises for treatment of periarticular soft tissue disorders was compared with and without pulsed and continuous US.

Setting

Outpatient exercise program in a Taiwan medical university hospital.

Participants

One hundred twenty subjects with bilateral knee OA (Altman grade II).

Intervention

Subjects were randomized sequentially into 1 of 4 groups. Group I received isokinetic muscular strengthening exercises, group II received isokinetic exercise and continuous US, group III received isokinetic exercise and pulsed US treatment, and group IV was the control group.

Main Outcome Measures

Therapeutic effects of isokinetic exercise were evaluated by changes in ambulation speed and the Lequesne index. In addition, changes in knee range of motion (ROM), visual analog scale for pain, and muscle peak torques during knee flexion and extension were compared. Compliance in each group was recorded.

Results

Each treated group had increased muscle peak torques and significantly reduced pain and disability after treatment and at follow-up. However, only patients in groups II and III had significant improvement in ROM and ambulation speed after treatment. Fewer participants in group III discontinued treatment due to knee pain during exercise. Patients in group III also showed the greatest increase in walking speed and decrease in disability after treatment and at follow-up. Gains in muscular strength in 60°/s angular velocity peak torques were also noted in groups II and III. However, group III showed the greatest muscular strength gains with 180°/s angular velocity peak torques after treatment and follow-up.

Conclusions

US treatment could increase the effectiveness of isokinetic exercise for functional improvement of knee OA, and pulsed ultrasound has a greater effect than continuous US.

Key Words:  Exercise , Osteoarthritis , Rehabilitation , Ultrasonics

 

 Supported by National Science Council of Taiwan (grant no. NSC-92-2314-B-037-067).No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the author(s) or upon any organization with which the author(s) is/are associated.

PII: S0003-9993(05)00223-6

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2005.02.007

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 86, Issue 8 , Pages 1545-1551, August 2005

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