Tidal irrigation versus conservative medical management in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee: a prospective randomized study. Tidal Irrigation Cooperating Group.
To determine the efficacy of tidal knee irrigation for knee pain due to osteoarthritis (OA), we conducted a randomized, single blind, 14-week prospective trial comparing medical management with tidal knee irrigation in 77 patients with non-end stage OA of the knee and unilateral pain refractory to standard medical treatment. Fifty-seven patients completed the study. Statistically significant differences (p less than 0.05) favoring tidal knee irrigation over medical management were pain after 50' walk, pain after 4-stair climb, most intense pain in previous day, frequency of knee stiffness with inactivity, days of morning knee stiffness in previous week, physician assessment of knee tenderness and overall assessments of therapy effectiveness by both patient and physician. Tidal knee irrigation results in more favorable improvement of pain due to OA than can be accomplished with traditional medical management.
Ike
R W
RW
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor 48109-0358.
Arnold
W J
WJ
Rothschild
E W
EW
Shaw
H L
HL
D000368:Aged; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000592:standards / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D059408:Pain Management; D011446:Prospective Studies; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal