Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization: A Systematic Review and Effect-Size Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the overall effectiveness of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) in improving range of motion (ROM), pain, strength, and patient-reported function in order to provide recommendations for use. We also sought to examine the influence of IASTM on injured and healthy participants, body part treated, and product used. DATA SOURCES: We searched the Academic Search Premier, Alt Healthwatch, CINAHL Complete, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE with full text, NLM PubMed, Physical Education Index, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), SPORTDiscus with full text, and Web of Science databases for articles published from 1997 through 2016. The Boolean string advantEDGE OR astym OR graston OR iastm OR "instrument assist* soft tissue mobil*" OR "augment* soft tissue mobil*" OR "myofascial release" OR "instrument assist* massage" OR "augment* massage" OR "instrument assist* cross fiber massage" was used. STUDY SELECTION: Included articles were randomized controlled trials that measured ROM, pain, strength, or patient-reported function and compared IASTM treatment with at least 1 other group. DATA EXTRACTION: Thirteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Four independent reviewers assessed study quality using the PEDro and Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine scales. Twelve articles were included in the effect-size analysis. DATA SYNTHESIS: The average PEDro score for studies of uninjured participants was 5.83 (range = 5 to 7) and that for studies of injured participants was 5.86 (range = 3 to 7). Large effect sizes were found in outcomes for ROM (uninjured participants), pain (injured participants), and patient-reported function (injured participants). The different IASTM tools used in these studies revealed similar effect sizes in the various outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The current literature provides support for IASTM in improving ROM in uninjured individuals as well as pain and patient-reported function (or both) in injured patients. More high-quality research involving a larger variety of patients and products is needed to further substantiate and allow for generalization of these findings.

Risk of Knee Osteoarthritis Over 24 Months in Individuals Who Decrease Walking Speed During a 12-Month Period: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between change in walking speed over a 12-month period and risk of developing radiographic knee osteoarthritis (rKOA) over a 24-month period. METHODS: We included participants without rKOA from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Change in walking speed was determined from a 20-m walk assessment, calculated using walking speed at 12-month followup minus baseline speed and/or 24-month followup walking speed minus 12-month speed. Incident rKOA was defined as progressing to Kellgren-Lawrence arthritis grading scale ≥ 2 within 24 months (i.e., incidence between 12 and 36 mos or 24 and 48 mos). Self-reported significant knee injury during the exposure period, age, body mass index (BMI), and Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) score were adjusted for analytically. RESULTS: We included 2638 observations among 1460 unique participants (58% women; aged 59 ± 9 yrs, range 45-79). The mean change in walking speed over 12 months was 0.001 ± 0.13 m/s (range -0.6271 to 1.4968). About 5% of the sample (n = 122) developed rKOA over a 24-month period. After controlling for significant knee injury, age, BMI, and PASE score, we found an 8% relative increase in risk of developing rKOA for every 0.1 m/s decrease in walking speed over a 12-month period (risk ratio 1.08, 95% CI 1.00-1.15, p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Evaluating change in speed over a 12-month period using a 20-m walk test may be useful in identifying individuals at increased risk of developing rKOA over the subsequent 24 months. Identification of patients at high risk for developing rKOA would allow medical providers to implement early interventions to maximize joint health.

Impact of physical activity and mechanical loading on biomarkers typically used in osteoarthritis assessment: current concepts and knowledge gaps.

There is an ongoing need to develop prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers for osteoarthritis (OA). Understanding how biomarkers change in response to physical activity may be vital for understanding if a patient has a joint that is failing to adapt to a given loading stimulus. The purpose of this review is to describe how biomarker changes after joint loading may help detect early OA and determine prognosis. This may help to inform and more specifically target interventions and clinical trials. We conducted a critical review of the relevant literature that was published to January 2016. There is extensive OA biomarker research, specifically basal biomarker concentrations; however, there is limited research surrounding biomarker response to load. Some of this limited research includes the response of minimal biomarkers reflecting bone, synovium, inflammatory, and cartilage responses to load. Biomarker changes occur in bone and cartilage in response to a variety of activities and are influenced by variables such as body weight, load, vibration, and activity time. Biomarker responses to loading tasks may serve as a measure of overall joint health and be predictive of structural changes. Biomarkers adapt to training over time, and this may indicate a need for a gradual return to physical activity after an injury to allow time for joint tissues to adapt to load. Biomarker responses to physical activity may be monitored to determine appropriate loading levels and safety for return to activity.

Tibiofemoral Osteoarthritis After Surgical or Nonsurgical Treatment of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if surgical or nonsurgical treatment of anterior cruciate ligament rupture affects the prevalence of posttraumatic tibiofemoral osteoarthritis (OA). DATA SOURCES: Studies published between 1983 and April 2012 were identified via EBSCOhost and OVID. Reference lists were then screened in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. STUDY SELECTION: Studies were included if (a) treatment outcomes focused on a direct comparison of surgical versus nonsurgical treatment of anterior cruciate ligament rupture, (b) the prevalence of tibiofemoral OA was reported, and (c) they were written in English. Studies were excluded if (a) the included patients were treated with cast immobilization after surgery, (b) the mean follow-up was less than 10 years, or (c) the patients underwent anterior cruciate ligament revision surgery. DATA EXTRACTION: Two independent investigators reviewed the included articles using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Frequency of OA, surgical procedure, nonsurgical treatments, and participant characteristics were extracted and summarized. We calculated prevalence (%) and 95% confidence intervals for treatment groups for each individual study and overall. We developed 2 × 2 contingency tables to assess the association between treatment groups (exposed had surgery, referent was nonsurgical treatment) and the prevalence of OA. DATA SYNTHESIS: Four retrospective studies were identified (140 surgical patients, 240 nonsurgical patients). The mean Newcastle-Ottawa Scale score was 5 (range = 4-6 [of 10] points). Average length of follow-up was 11.8 years (range = 10-14 years). The prevalence of OA for surgically treated patients ranged from 32.6% to 51.2% (overall = 41.4%, 95% confidence interval = 35.0%, 48.1%) and for nonsurgical patients ranged from 24.5% to 42.3% (overall = 30.9%, 95% confidence interval = 24.4%, 38.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Although OA prevalence was higher in the surgical treatment group at a mean follow-up of 11.8 years, no definitive evidence supports surgical or nonsurgical treatment after anterior cruciate ligament injury to prevent posttraumatic OA. Current studies have been limited by small sample sizes, low methodologic quality, and a lack of data regarding confounding factors.

Is Participation in Certain Sports Associated With Knee Osteoarthritis? A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: Information regarding the relative risks of developing knee osteoarthritis (OA) as a result of sport participation is critical for shaping public health messages and for informing knee-OA prevention strategies. The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the association between participation in specific sports and knee OA. DATA SOURCES: We completed a systematic literature search in September 2012 using 6 bibliographic databases (PubMed; Ovid MEDLINE; Journals@Ovid; American College of Physicians Journal Club; Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Review, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects; and Ovid HealthStar), manual searches (4 journals), and reference lists (56 articles). STUDY SELECTION: Studies were included if they met the following 4 criteria: (1) an aim was to investigate an association between sport participation and knee OA; (2) the outcome measure was radiographic knee OA, clinical knee OA, total knee replacement, self-reported diagnosis of knee OA, or placement on a waiting list for a total knee replacement; (3) the study design was case control or cohort; and (4) the study was written in English. Articles were excluded if the study population had an underlying condition other than knee OA. DATA EXTRACTION: One investigator extracted data (eg, group descriptions, knee OA prevalence, source of nonexposed controls). DATA SYNTHESIS: The overall knee-OA prevalence in sport participants (n = 3759) was 7.7%, compared with 7.3% among nonexposed controls (referent group n = 4730, odds ratio [OR] = 1.1). Specific sports with a significantly higher prevalence of knee OA were soccer (OR = 3.5), elite-level long-distance running (OR = 3.3), competitive weight lifting (OR = 6.9), and wrestling (OR = 3.8). Elite-sport (soccer or orienteering) and nonelite-sport (soccer or American football) participants without a history of knee injury had a greater prevalence of knee OA than nonexposed participants. CONCLUSIONS: Participants in soccer (elite and nonelite), elite-level long-distance running, competitive weight lifting, and wrestling had an increased prevalence of knee OA and should be targeted for risk-reduction strategies.

Physical activity levels and quality of life relate to collagen turnover and inflammation changes after running.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether an association existed between self-reported symptom and function scores and tissue turnover or inflammatory biomarker changes after a running bout among individuals with and without an acute knee-injury history. A pre-test/post-test prospective cohort study design (Level II) of 22 participants was conducted. Eleven physically active individuals with a history of anterior cruciate ligament surgery and/or meniscus surgery within 4 years of study participation were matched to 11 healthy control participants. All participants completed self-reported outcome measures (Knee Osteoarthritis Outcomes Score and Tegner activity level) assessing knee symptoms and functional levels prior to the run. Blood samples were taken both pre- and post-30-minute run at a prescribed pace on a treadmill to determine serum biomarker concentration changes. Tegner activity levels were inversely related to type II collagen/type II collagen synthesis marker ratio biomarker changes after the run (r = -0.45, p = 0.01). Quality-of-life scores pre-exercise were inversely related to interleukin-1ß changes after the run (r = -0.50, p = 0.02). No other correlation coefficients were statistically significant (r = -0.39 to 0.36). Ultimately, individuals with lower activity and quality-of-life scores experienced greater increases in collagen turnover and inflammation after a running bout, respectively. A gradual increase in activity (e.g., frequency, duration, intensity) may be warranted in this group prior to returning to activities that involve running. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:612-617, 2017.

Biochemical Response to a Moderate Running Bout in Participants With or Without a History of Acute Knee Injury.

CONTEXT: Individuals with an acute knee-injury history are 4 times more likely to develop knee osteoarthritis than those without a prior knee injury, and it is unknown why. Individuals with an injury history may exhibit aberrant changes in tissue turnover after physical activity (eg, running), which could lead to osteoarthritis, but this has yet to be determined among young, physically active individuals. OBJECTIVE: To determine collagen degradation and synthesis and inflammatory biomarker concentration levels before exercise and changes in response to an acute running bout in injured participants compared with healthy control participants. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: Research laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: A total of 22 physically active individuals between 18 and 25 years of age were recruited for the study: 11 injured participants (knee injury within 4 years of the study) who were medically cleared for physical activity and 11 matched healthy control participants. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The independent variable was group (injured or control). Dependent variables were serum biomarker concentrations for cartilage oligomeric matrix protein, matrix metalloproteinase-13, proinflammatory marker interleukin-1ß, c-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type II collagen, and type II collagen synthesis marker. Each participant provided prerun and postrun blood samples for biomarker-concentration analysis. RESULTS: No group differences existed in serum biomarker concentrations before exercise or in serum biomarker changes from pre-exercise to postexercise. CONCLUSIONS: After an acute bout of moderate-intensity running, young, active individuals in a high-risk postinjury population had similar biochemical responses as matched healthy controls. However, the external generalizability of these findings to other exercises and populations has yet to be determined.

Five-year clinical outcomes of a randomized trial of anterior cruciate ligament treatment strategies: an evidence-based practice paper.

REFERENCE/CITATION: Frobell RB, Roos HP, Roos EM, Roemer FW, Ranstam J, Lohmander LS. Treatment for acute anterior cruciate ligament tear: five year outcome of randomised trial. BMJ. 2013;346:F232. CLINICAL QUESTION: Does early anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with rehabilitation lead to better patient-reported outcomes and a lower incidence of osteoarthritis at 5 years postinjury compared with delayed ACL reconstruction with rehabilitation? STUDY SELECTION: This randomized controlled trial with extended follow-up at 5 years postrandomization was conducted in 2 Swedish orthopaedic departments. DATA EXTRACTION: The authors studied a total of 121 moderately active adults (age = 18-35 years) with an acute ACL rupture in a knee with no other history of trauma. Excluded were patients with a collateral ligament rupture, full-thickness cartilage defect, or extensive meniscal fixation. One patient assigned to the early ACL-reconstruction group did not attend the 5-year follow-up visit. Patients were randomly assigned to (1) an early ACL reconstruction plus structured rehabilitation group (n = 62, surgery within 10 weeks of injury) or (2) optional-delayed ACL reconstruction plus structured rehabilitation group (n = 59). The primary outcome measure was change in the average of 4 out of 5 subscales of the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). The authors also assessed crude KOOS (combined 4 subscales), KOOS subscale scores, general physical and mental health (Short-Form 36), activity level (Tegner Activity Scale), mechanical knee stability (Lachman and pivot shift tests), meniscal surgery status, and presence of knee osteoarthritis on radiographs. MAIN RESULTS: Among patients randomized to the optional-delayed ACL-reconstruction group, 30 (51%) opted for an ACL reconstruction. The treatment groups had comparable 5-year patient-reported outcomes and changes in patient-reported outcomes (eg, knee pain, knee symptoms, activities of daily living, sport and recreational levels, knee-related quality of life, general physical health, and general mental health). Patients in the optional-delayed ACL-reconstruction group had greater mechanical knee instability than patients who received early ACL reconstruction; however, this was primarily among the patients opting for conservative management alone. In the overall sample, 61 knees (51%) required meniscal surgery over 5 years, regardless of treatment group. At 5 years, radiographs were available for 113 patients (93%). Overall, 29 patients (26%) had knee osteoarthritis at 5 years. Specifically, 13 patients (12%) developed tibiofemoral radiographic osteoarthritis (9 patients [16%] in the early ACL-reconstruction group, 4 [7%] in the optional-delayed ACL-reconstruction group) and 22 (19%) developed patellofemoral osteoarthritis (14 patients [24%] in the early ACL-reconstruction group, 8 [15%] in the optional-delayed ACL-reconstruction group). Patients with patellar tendon grafts (n = 40) had a greater incidence of ipsilateral patellofemoral osteoarthritis than patients with hamstrings tendon grafts (n = 51), but the 2 groups had similar incidences of ipsilateral tibiofemoral osteoarthritis. Six knees (5%) had both tibiofemoral and patellofemoral osteoarthritis. CONCLUSIONS: Early ACL reconstruction plus rehabilitation did not provide better results at 5 years compared with optional-delayed ACL reconstruction plus rehabilitation. Furthermore, the authors found no radiographic differences among patients with early ACL reconstruction, delayed ACL reconstruction, or no ACL reconstruction (rehabilitation alone).

Saline-assisted aspirations for collecting synovial fluid from noneffused knees: technique and validation.

CONTEXT: To better understand why a knee develops osteoarthritis after joint trauma we need to assess the local biochemical changes. Unfortunately, it is challenging to obtain synovial fluid from a knee with no effusion. OBJECTIVE: To describe the authors' protocol for aspirating synovial fluid from noneffused knees. Second, they demonstrate the validity of this method by evaluating the relationships between normalized and raw biomarker concentrations among knees with effusion (undergoing a traditional aspiration) and without effusion (requiring a saline-assisted aspiration). DESIGN: Validation study based on secondary analyses from 2 cohort studies. SETTING: Outpatient orthopedic clinic and basic-science laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Participants had moderate to severe radiographic knee osteoarthritis (n = 15 with and 11 without effusion) and no osteoarthritis or effusion (n = 4). INTERVENTIONS: The same orthopedic surgeon performed all synovial-fluid joint aspirations, including saline-assisted aspirations. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The authors used multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to determine 7 synovial-fluid biomarker concentrations. They then calculated correlations between raw and normalized (to total synovial-fluid protein content) biomarker concentrations. RESULTS: The authors excluded 1 sample collected with a saline-assisted aspiration because it contained blood. Normalized biomarker concentrations had positive associations with raw biomarker concentrations (r = .77-.99), with the exception of interleukin-13 and interleukin-1ß among knees that underwent a saline-assisted aspiration. Excluding interleukin-1ß, associations between normalized and raw biomarker concentrations were consistent between knees that had a saline-assisted or traditional aspiration. CONCLUSIONS: Saline-assisted aspiration is a valid technique for assessing the local biochemical changes in knees without effusion.

Medication and supplement use for managing joint symptoms among patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose was to determine the professionally-guided and self-guided medication and supplement use for joint symptom management among patients with knee and/or hip osteoarthritis (OA) in an urban hospital-based outpatient orthopedic practice. METHODS: The study design was cross-sectional. Patients diagnosed by radiographs and clinical symptoms with knee and/or hip OA were recruited from an inner-city hospital-based outpatient orthopaedic office. A total of 184 patients were queried for their participation. Four investigator-generated, interview-based questionnaires were used. Sampling error was ±7.84%. Logistic regression models and Fisher Exact Tests were performed to determine factors that may be associated with negative behaviors related to medication or supplement use (e.g., reporting medication as ineffective, using multiple medications in the same day to manage symptoms). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for significant findings. RESULTS: Among the 162 participants, a majority reported professionally-guided recommendations and over 40% reported at least one self-guided intervention. 37 participants reported dual-use during the same day, and among those,15 reported dual-use at the same time. Among participants taking multiple interventions in the same day, 40.5% reported using prescription and over-the-counter medications. Use of multiple medications or supplements in one day was more common among participants who reported OA at multiple joints (OR [95% CI]=2.48 [1.03 to 5.96]) but less common among participants who did not complete high school (OR [95% CI]=0.26 [0.08 to 0.83]). Of the 15 participants who reported dual-use at the same time, 11 were professionally-guided, 5 were professional and self-guided, and 1 was solely self-guided. Overall, 28% of participants reported their intervention as ineffective, sought an alternative method to achieve symptomatic relief, or were prescribed a stronger medication. Participants who reported not always taking their medication consistently for 2 weeks were more likely to report their medication as ineffective (OR [95% CI]=2.87 [1.19 to 6.92]). CONCLUSIONS: Both professional and self-guided medications and supplements are used by inner city OA patients to manage their joint symptoms. It is important for clinicians to discuss with these patients how to effectively manage multiple joint symptoms, the importance of taking medications as prescribed, and what they should if they believe a treatment is ineffective or their medication runs out.

Biochemical comparison of osteoarthritic knees with and without effusion.

BACKGROUND: Several symptom-relieving interventions have been shown to be efficacious among osteoarthritis (OA) patients with knee effusion; however, not every symptomatic knee OA patient has clinical effusion. Results may be over-generalized since it is unclear if effused knees represent a unique pathological condition or subset compared to knees without effusion. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if biochemical differences existed between OA knees with and without effusion. METHODS: The present cross-sectional study consisted of 22 volunteers (11 with knee effusion, 11 without knee effusion) with confirmed late-stage radiographic knee OA (Kellgren-Lawrence score ≥ 3). Synovial fluid samples were collected and analyzed using a custom multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determine eight specific biomarker concentrations (e.g., catabolic, anabolic). RESULTS: Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3, tissue inhibitor of MMPs (TIMP)-1, TIMP-2, and interleukin-10 were significantly higher in the knees with effusion than in the knees without effusion. CONCLUSIONS: The biochemical differences that existed between knees with and without effusion provide support that OA subsets may exist, characterized by distinct biochemical characteristics and clinical findings (e.g., effusion).

Reliability and validity of three quality rating instruments for systematic reviews of observational studies.

To assess the inter-rater reliability, validity, and inter-instrument agreement of the three quality rating instruments for observational studies. Inter-rater reliability, criterion validity, and inter-instrument reliability were assessed for three quality rating scales, the Downs and Black (D&B), Newcastle-Ottawa (NOS), and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), using a sample of 23 observational studies of musculoskeletal health outcomes. Inter-rater reliability for the D&B (Intraclass correlations [ICC] = 0.73; CI = 0.47-0.88) and NOS (ICC = 0.52; CI = 0.14-0.76) were moderate to good and was poor for the SIGN (κ = 0.09; CI = -0.22-0.40). The NOS was not statistically valid (p = 0.35), although the SIGN was statistically valid (p < 0.05) with medium to large effect sizes (f(2) = 0.29-0.47). Inter-instrument agreement estimates were κ = 0.34, CI = 0.05-0.62 (D&B versus SIGN), κ = 0.26, CI = 0.00-0.52 (SIGN versus NOS), and κ = 0.43, CI = 0.09-0.78 (D&B versus NOS). Reliability and validity are quite variable across quality rating scales used in assessing observational studies in systematic reviews. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.