title: Viscosupplementation during rehabilitation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Viscosupplementation (VS) and physical therapy are both used to treat pain associated with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed and EMBASE searches were performed to July 2013. Search terms included hyaluronic acid OR hylan, physical therapy OR exercise, AND osteoarthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level 4.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The efficacy and safety of VS in painful knee OA is well documented, as are the appropriate candidates for this intervention. Studies suggest that adding VS to physical therapy and therapeutic exercise may lead to improved pain reduction and increased functionality compared with physical therapy alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Appropriately selected patients undergoing physical therapy for knee OA may benefit from VS.
authors.affiliation: Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Research Foundation, Santa Monica, California ; Department of Biomechanics and Movement Science, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware.
authors.forename: Holly J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Silvers
keywords: anterior cruciate ligament surgery; hyaluronic acid; knee osteoarthritis; physical therapy; viscosupplementation