Comparison of supervised exercise programme with home based program in knee osteoarthritis

Comparison of Supervised Exercise Programme with Home Based Program in Knee Osteoarthritis. Reactive neuromuscular training (RNT) is a programme used in sports injury rehabilitation. The aim of this study is to assess the reliability of supervised RNT in osteoarthritis (OA) patients and to compare its effectiveness with a home based program. 29 patients with knee OA participated in the study. Subjects in the supervised exercise group (SE) received graded RNT exercises, 2 days a week for 4 weeks. Subjects in the home exercises group (HE) were advised a program consisting of isometric and isotonic strenghtening exercises. There were no improvements in the HE group. SE group showed clinically and statistically significant improvements in objective measures including flamingo balance test, 6-minute walk test, stair climbing and get up and go tests (p<0.05). WOMAC scores and Nottingham Health Profile were also improved in SE group (p<0.05). Symptom worsening was not observed in any patient. This is a preliminary study showing the reliability and effectiveness of RNT training in knee OA. Thus, these exercises may serve as an exercise programme for patients with knee osteoarthritis. Keywords: Knee osteoarthritis, Reactive neuromuscular training (RNT), Supervised exercise, 6-minute walk test.