Osteoarthritis, a chronic and degenerative joint disease, is the most common type of arthritis and affects more than 300 million adults worldwide. Osteoarthritis, which is characterized by joint pain and stiffness, has negative consequences for function, participation and quality of life, which are important components of health. The knee joint is the most common joint in terms of osteoarthritis and is more common in individuals over 50 years of age. There is no proven definitive treatment in today's literature for common osteoarthritis, which is one of the important causes of the global disease burden. However, since it is a progressive disease with varying degrees of severity, it is a chronic problem that requires long-term treatment. According to current clinical guidelines prepared by the working groups of the International Osteoarthritis Research Society (OARSI) and the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases ESCEO , treatment typically includes physiotherapy interventions with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and analgesics, including intra-articular injections of corticosteroids; In more severe cases, joint replacement surgery is recommended. The aim of this research project is to examine the effectiveness of a supervised exercise program applied in combination with NSAID-specific topical agents, in comparison with groups receiving only topical agents or only exercise treatments.
Voluntary participants who have been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis will be included in the study. Signed voluntary consent will be obtained from participants. Participants will be divided into tree groups. Study groups will be as follows: a) exercise, b) exercise \& topical agent, c) topical agent.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
79
Supervised exercise program with a physiotherapist for 6 weeks, two days a week
Diclofenac gel application to the knee joint twice a day, four days a week, in addition to a supervised exercise program under the supervision of a physiotherapist for 6 weeks.
Application of diclofenac gel to the knee joint twice a day, four days a week, for 6 weeks
Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa
Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)
Change of Pain via Numeric Pain Rating Scale
On this scale, "0" indicates the absence of pain, and "10" indicates the most severe pain imaginable (17). Patients will be asked to rate the severity of their knee pain with a number between 0 and 10 using this scale. The minimum clinically significant difference value (MCID) of this valid and reliable pain scale is 1.74 points.
Time frame: change from baseline pain at 6 months
WOMAC
WOMAC assesses the level of difficulty, pain and joint stiffness experienced by the patients during their physical functions. WOMAC score is a 5-point Likert-type scale, high scores indicate poor status and consist of a total of 24 questions.
Time frame: 4 times for 24 weeks
40 meters fast walking test
For 40mHYT, patients will be asked to walk as fast as possible on a flat and hard surface, on a 10-meter marked walking path. Walking time will be measured in seconds with a stopwatch. The test will be repeated three times and the arithmetic mean of these measurements will be recorded as the result value. Considering the age range of the patients, it was planned to allow a one-minute rest period between retests.
Time frame: 4 times for 24 weeks
Stepping Test
Patients will be asked to climb 10 pre-marked 20 cm high steps as quickly as possible on a standard ladder. The test time will be measured in seconds with a stopwatch. The test will be repeated 3 times and the average value will be recorded in seconds. Similarly, in this evaluation, patients were given a one-minute rest period between 3 repetitions of the test.
Time frame: 4 times for 24 weeks
Joint Range of Motion Evaluation
During the assessments, three repeat measurements will be made using an electronic goniometer. For goniometric measurement, the pivot point will be placed on the lateral condyle of the femur. The fixed arm will be held parallel to the lateral midline of the femur. The movable arm will follow the movement of the fibula.
Time frame: 4 times for 24 weeks
Health-Related Quality of Life Short Form (SF-12) Scale
SF-12 is the abbreviated version of the SF36 Quality of Life Scale and is frequently preferred for ease of use. It has 2 components, physical and mental, scored between 0 and 50. A high score from the score indicates health-related well-being and increased quality of life, while a decrease indicates worsening.
Time frame: 4 times for 24 weeks
Global Rating of Change Scale-GRC
It will be used to evaluate patient satisfaction. It is designed to determine the amount of improvement or worsening of the patient over time. In our study, GRC consisting of 5 levels between -2 and +2 value ranges (-2: I am much worse, -1: I am worse, 0: I am the same, 1: I am better, 2: I am much better) was preferred.
Time frame: 3 times for 24 weeks
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