Deep Versus Superficial Heating in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

Status

Completed

Conditions

Knee Osteoarthritis

Treatments

Other: Microwave diathermy

Other: Superficial hyperthermia

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT01343147

533/10

Details and patient eligibility

About

Heat therapy is frequently prescribed to patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA). Deep hyperthermia via localized microwave diathermy is effective in several musculoskeletal painful conditions. However, the efficacy of superficial heating is controversial. Furthermore, no clinical trials have yet directly compared the effects of these treatment modalities in knee OA. Hence, the purpose of the present study is to compare the effects of deep and superficial hyperthermia, induced via microwave diathermy and hot packs, respectively, on pain and function in patients with symptomatic knee OA.

Enrollment

54 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18+ years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Men and women aged 18 years or older
Moderate, mono or bilateral knee osteoarthritis
Pain lasting for at least three weeks

Exclusion criteria

Inability or unwillingness to sign informed consent
Previous surgery on the affected knee
Intra-articular injections with steroids or hyaluronic acid in prior 6 months
Physical therapy for knee problems in prior 6 months
Congenital or acquired inflammatory or neurological (systemic or local) diseases involving the knee
Chronic NSAID or steroid treatment
Cognitive or psychiatric disorders
Pregnancy or breastfeeding
Contraindications to hyperthermia (cancer in prior 2 years or active cancer treatment, local thrombosis, impaired arterial circulation, altered cutaneous thermal sensitivity, local infections or systemic acute infections, metal implants or prosthesis, severe osteoporosis