Author(s): Jeena Veettil, Aparna Mohana, Praveena Devakkannu and Nizar Majeedkutty

Abstract:
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease occurring primarily in older persons and predominantly affecting medial tibiofemoral compartment leading to pain, loss of function and reduced quality of life. During walking, forces across the knee joint are not transmitted equally between the medial and lateral compartments. Increased mechanical load and damage to the medial side of the knee joint has been associated with increasing knee varus alignment, further loading the medial compartment which causes symptoms of medial knee osteoarthritis. This study was aimed to determine the effects of neuromuscular exercises for improving pain and physical function in patients with medial knee osteoarthritis. 30 subjects with medial knee osteoarthritis that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned into 2 groups; 15 in each group. Control group received conventional treatment and experimental group received neuromuscular exercises along with conventional treatment. The treatment duration was 45 minutes in each session for 6 days in a week and the trial stretching 8 weeks. Statistical analysis of inter group significance by independent sample t-test for WOMAC [t=2.356>table value, t= 2.048], isometric knee extension [t=7.941>table value, t=2.048] and Mann-Whitney test for VAS [p=0.007] reveals that experimental group showed significant difference between pre-test and post test values of WOMAC, isometric knee extension and VAS than the control group. Both groups show significant difference in their pre and post–test values. Participants with medial knee osteoarthritis in the experimental group that received neuromuscular exercise along with conventional treatment show greater improvement in pain and physical function. The findings of this study reveal a more effective exercise treatment option than currently exists for this important subgroup of people with knee osteoarthritis. dy

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