The effects of proprioception training and intra-articular injections of sodium hyaluronate on knee osteoarthritis in the elderly / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe any therapeutic effect of proprioception training and intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate on knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in the elderly.Methods Forty-five patients with KOA were randomly divided into a treatment group (23 cases) and a control group (22 cases).The arthritic knees of both groups were treated with sodium hyaluronate injections,but the patients in the treatment group also received proprioception training.Before treatment,and after 5 weeks and 3 months of treatment,knee function was assessed against Lysholm's assessment standard.Results There was no significant difference in the average Lysholm scores of the two groups before treatment.After 5 weeks and 3 months the patients in each group scored significantly higher than before treatment.After 3 months the average score of the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group.Conclusion Proprioception training and sodium hyaluronate injections together constitute a useful method to treat KOA in elderly patients.