Decompression Versus Heat and Decompression in Knee OA

University of Hail

Status: Completed

Conditions: Knee Osteoarthritis

Treatments: Other: knee Decompression; Other: hot pack; Other: standard physical therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06428071

H-2024-265

Details and patient eligibility

About

a randomized controlled trial tends to compare the effects of adding superficial heating during the application of knee decompression session to the results of decompression alone without heating.

Full description

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive multifactorial joint disease characterized by chronic pain and functional disability due to the degeneration of the articular cartilage. The knee joint is the most vulnerable joint in the human body and occupies four-fifths of the burden of OA worldwide. Subjects having KOA demonstrate deferent clinical and radiological characteristics such as narrowed joint space, osteophytes around the articular surface, subchondral sclerosis, pain, limited range of motion (ROM), and declined functional status.

Except for the arthroplasty for the severely arthritic knee joint, there is no cure for the degeneration of joint cartilage. Medications, exercises, and physical agents can be used to address the associated pain, muscular tightness, weakness, and physical disability.

Interestingly, previous efforts that applied traction (decompression) on the arthritic knee joint demonstrated favorable results even on the thickness of the articular cartilage. However, these methods were mainly invasive surgical procedures that encountered disadvantages like the risk of infection and prolonged bedridden that might affect the general health of the patients

Enrollment: 75 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 45 to 60 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Both sexes
• age between 45 to 60 years.
• Normal and or overweight categories of BMI 19-30 kg/m2
• Unilateral (grade 2 and 3) knee OA according to the Kellgren-Lawrence radiological rating scale

Exclusion criteria

• lower limb deformities as genu varum, valgus, flat foot
• leg length discrepancy
• previous trauma and or surgery to the knee joint
• Bone disease
• Inability to refrain from analgesic/anti-inflammatory medications for 6 weeks

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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75 participants in 3 patient groups

Standard physical therapy program

Active Comparator group

Description:

All Patients in the three groups will receive supervised systematic exercise therapy that was performed effectively in previous work. This program consisted of lower limb static, dynamic, and flexibility exer¬cises that targeted the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteus muscles; and core strength training for 20 minutes per day. This program will be applied 3 times per week for 6 weeks

Treatment:

Other: standard physical therapy

knee Decompression

Experimental group

Description:

The ACUTRAC AT270 Traction System device will be used for traction. The patient will assume the supine position with the hip of the treated limb in semi-flexion and the ipsilateral knee in 25-30º flexion. 15 minutes of continuous mechanical traction using 20% of the patient's weight will be used. The session will be 15 minutes, once a day, three-times a week for 6 weeks. This group will receive decompression and standard physical therapy.

Treatment:

Other: standard physical therapy

Other: knee Decompression

Decompression plus heating

Experimental group

Description:

this group will receive the standard physical therapy, the mechanical decompression and superficial heating using heat pad on the knee joint for 20 minutes while the patient receives the decompression session

Treatment:

Other: standard physical therapy

Other: hot pack

Other: knee Decompression