Effectiveness of exercise in patients with osteoarthritis of hip or knee: nine months' follow up.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the effects of an exercise programme in patients with osteoarthritis of hip or knee are sustained at six and nine months' follow up. METHODS: A randomised, single blind, clinical trial was conducted in a primary care setting. Patients with osteoarthritis of hip or knee (ACR criteria) were selected. Two intervention groups were compared. Both groups received treatment from their general practitioner, including patient education and drug treatment if necessary. The experimental group also received exercise treatment from a physiotherapist in primary care. The treatment period was 12 weeks, with an ensuing 24 week follow up. The main outcome measures were pain, drug use (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), and observed disability. RESULTS: 201 patients were randomly allocated to the exercise or control group, and 183 patients completed the trial. At 24 weeks exercise treatment was associated with a small to moderate effect on pain during the past week (difference in change between the two groups -11.5 (95% CI -19.7 to -3.3). At 36 weeks no differences were found between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Beneficial effects of exercise decline over time and finally disappear.

The effectiveness of exercise therapy in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee: a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of exercise therapy in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip or knee. METHODS: A randomized single blind, clinical trial was conducted in a primary care setting. Patients with hip or knee OA by American College of Rheumatology criteria were selected. Two intervention groups were compared. Both groups received treatment from the patients' general practitioner, including patient education and medication if necessary. The experimental group also received exercise therapy from a physiotherapist in primary care. The treatment period was 12 weeks. The main outcome measures were pain, medication use (nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, NSAID) and observed disability. RESULTS: A total of 201 patients were randomized. Exercise therapy was associated with a reduction of pain in the past week (difference in change -17.0; 95% CI -23.6, -10.4) and observed disability (-0.19; 95% CI -0.38; -0.01). Effect sizes were medium (0.58) and small (0.28), respectively. No effect of exercise therapy was found for the use of NSAID. Additional beneficial effects (p = 0.05) were found for the use of paracetamol (effect size 0.33), global effect as perceived by the patient (effect size 0.68), and muscle strength of the hip (effect size 0.34). CONCLUSION: After 12 weeks, exercise therapy is effective in reducing pain and disability. The size of the effects is medium and small, respectively.

Validity of Cyriax's concept capsular pattern for the diagnosis of osteoarthritis of hip and/or knee.

To analyse the validity of Cyriax's concept of the "capsular pattern" in the diagnosis of osteoarthritis (OA) of hip and knee, data on 200 patients were analysed. The capsular pattern with limitations of medial rotation, flexion, and abduction, was not present as a distinct pattern in patients with OA of the hip. In patients with OA of the knee, an indication of the existence of a capsular pattern of the knee, with limited ranges of motion for both flexion and extension was found in subgroups of patients. It is concluded that the capsular pattern cannot be regarded as a valid test for the diagnosis of OA of the hip or knee. Further investigations in subgroups of patients are recommended.

[Deaths due to abuse for the age group 0-18 years; an estimate of 40 cases in 1996 based on a survey of family practitioners and pediatricians]. / Overlijdensgevallen onder 0-18-jarigen door vermoede mishandeling: naar schatting 40 gevallen in 1996 gebaseerd op een enquête onder huisartsen en kinderartsen.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the number of cases of death of children and youths (0-18 years) in 1996 in which the doctor suspected maltreatment as a possible cause of death and whether the death was declared the result of natural causes. DESIGN: Questionnaire. SETTING: Department of General Practice Medicine, University of Utrecht, the Netherlands. METHOD: In co-ordination with the Dutch College of General Practitioners and in consultation with the Dutch Society of Pediatricians a questionnaire was sent to all general practitioners (n = 6957) and pediatricians (n = 971) in the Netherlands. The definition of maltreatment was left to the respondents. The questionnaire included questions regarding some characteristics of the children and the motivation of the doctor to notify or not to notify the municipal coroner. It referred to 1996 but it also asked for cases in 1992-1995 to determine whether the earlier data supported the 1996 ones. RESULTS: The overall response was 83% (6583/7928). The doctors mentioned a total of 33 cases in which they suspected that the death was the result of some kind of maltreatment. 'Death from natural causes' was noted on the death certificates of 6 of these cases and the coroner was not notified. The estimated number of deaths due to mistreatment in the age group 0-18 years for 1996 was 40 (1.14 per 100,000; 95% confidence interval (95%-CI): 0.79-1.50) and 24 in the age group 0-2 years (4.13 per 100,000; 95%-CI: 2.48-5.79), with an estimate of 7 certificates stating death from natural causes. CONCLUSION: The Dutch figures are rather similar to the minimum estimate for the United States in the youngest age groups: 4-11 cases per 100,000 and lower than for other European countries.