The effects of physiotherapy on osteoarthritic knees of females.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of ultrasound and shortwave diathermy, with and without therapeutic exercise on osteoarthritic (OA) knees. From February 1987 to January 1989, we collected 94 OA knees from 61 female patients and divided them into 4 groups. Group 1 received ultrasound therapy, group 2 had shortwave diathermy, group 3 received ultrasound and an exercise program, and group 4 received shortwave diathermy and exercise therapy. All 61 patients (94 knees) were assessed by functional incapacity scoring and isokinetic testing before and after treatment. At the termination of treatment, all patients had significant improvement in both functional capacity and peak torque. This study failed to prove any significant difference in treatment effect between ultrasound and shortwave diathermy for chronic OA knees. However, the exercise program in addition to the diathermy did promote the treatment effect in both function and muscle torque.
School of Rehabilitation Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, R.O.C.
M H
MH
Jan
J S
JS
Lai
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007719:Knee Joint; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011859:Radiography; D012737:Sex Factors; D012780:Short-Wave Therapy; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy