Biomechanical analysis in patients with knee osteoarthritis after Chinese massage combined with functional exercise / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:There are less reports on the evaluation of plantar pressure distribution in knee osteoarthritis patients using modern gait analysis, and moreover, the database of characteristic plantar pressure has not been established in patients with osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of Chinese massage and functional exercise on knee osteoarthritis. METHODS:Forty patients with left knee osteoarthritis who were eligible for the inclusive criteria were randomized into two groups, with 20 in each group. Control group was given conventional treatment, and treatment group was given Chinese massage combined with functional exercise. Japanese Orthopaedic Association score and gait parameters were measured and compared between two groups before and at 3 months after treatment. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After treatment, the two groups both had evident efficacy in pain relief during walking, and there was no statisticaly difference between the two groups. There was a significant difference in the knee range of motion in the patients in the treatment group when going upstairs and downstairs as wel as during joint flexion before and after treatment, but no changes occurred in the control group. After treatment, the range of motion during joint flexion was better in the treatment group than the control group, but there was no difference in the sweling reduction between the two groups. In addition, the treatment group had a higher Japanese Orthopaedic Association score after treatment than before treatment (P < 0.05), and there was no statistical difference in the control group. Gait analysis showed that there were improvements in the percentage of contact time, parameters during stance phase and peak plantar pressure in the two groups, but there was no significant difference before and after treatment. Foot axis angle in the treatment group was improved significantly, which was significantly better than that in the control group. Al the indexes in the treatment group were improved a lot, but did not reach the normal.