Immediate Effect of Mobilization with Movement on Squat Self-reported Functional Ability, Pain Intensity, and Pain-free Range of Motion in People with Knee Osteoarthritis

Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde do Porto

Status: Completed

Conditions: Knee Osteoarthritis (Knee OA)

Treatments: Procedure: Sham mobilization with movement; Procedure: Mobilization with movement

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06887868

CE2023/17

Details and patient eligibility

About

Mobilization with movement (MWM) appears to reduce pain, improve knee range of motion, and enhance physical functioning in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). However, it remains unclear whether the severity grading of structural damage in KOA affects its effects. This study aims to analyze the immediate effect of MWM on squat self-reported functional ability, pain intensity, and pain-free range of motion in people with KOA, and to verify it its effect is influenced by the severity grading of structural damage.

Enrollment: 40 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 45+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• male or female;
• aged over 45 years;
• clinically diagnosed with symptomatic unilateral KOA, classified as grade 1-3 according to the Kellgren and Lawrence system;
• fulfilled the classification criteria of the American College of Rheumatology for KOA;
• reported frequent episodes of pain in the knee joint during sit-to-stand movements for at least 3 months.

Exclusion criteria

• had KOA secondary to rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory and autoimmune conditions;
• reported lumbar pain radiating to the knee or lumbar pain as the primary complaint;
• had a history of knee or lower limb surgery;
• had a systemic or local infection;
• had received an intra-articular corticosteroid or hyaluronic acid injection within the past 6 months;
• reported current or past (within 4 weeks) oral corticosteroid use;
• had any condition in the lower limbs that would prevent performing the deep squat test;
• had clinical conditions in which manual therapy is generally contraindicated (such as fracture, osteoporosis, instability, infectious arthritis, tumors, joint ankylosis, acute inflammatory disorders, or lack of a diagnosed joint lesion).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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40 participants in 2 patient groups

MWM

Experimental group

Description:

The intervention group received the MWM technique, which involved the manual application of a sustained translational or rotational glide force, either medial or lateral, on the tibia, while an active partial weight-bearing lunge movement was performed. All glide forces were tested in a randomly pre-established order, and the most effective force for symptom relief and improvement in knee range of motion was selected for the intervention.

Treatment:

Procedure: Mobilization with movement

Sham MWM

Sham Comparator group

Description:

In the sham group, the participants underwent a similar procedure to those in the intervention group. The physiotherapist mimicked the pain-reducing glide direction without applying glide force while the participants performed the active lunge movement. To achieve this, the physiotherapist's hands lightly touched the knee skin, with one hand on the tibia and the other on the femur over the joint surfaces. The volume of the sham MWM technique was identical to that of the MWM technique administered to the intervention group.

Treatment:

Procedure: Sham mobilization with movement