This study aims to compare the effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) versus structured therapeutic exercise in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis (KOA), with respect to pain reduction and improvement of knee function.
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a highly prevalent chronic degenerative joint disease characterized by progressive cartilage loss, chronic pain, stiffness, functional disability, and reduced quality of life in adults, particularly the elderly. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has emerged as a non-invasive physical modality that delivers acoustic pressure waves to musculoskeletal tissues, stimulating biological responses such as enhanced microcirculation, anti-inflammatory cytokine modulation, neovascularization, cartilage and bone repair processes, and decreased pain transmission.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
40
Patients will receive extracorporeal shock wave therapy.
Patients will undergo a structured exercise therapy program.
German International University
Cairo, Egypt
RECRUITINGChange in pain intensity
Change in pain intensity will be assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) which is a 10-cm horizontal line used to measure pain intensity, ranging from (0) "no pain" to (10) "worst imaginable pain".
Time frame: 5-week after intervention
Stiffness assessment
Stiffness will be assessed using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). WOMAC will be recorded at baseline, at the end of the intervention period, and during follow-up. Higher scores indicate greater symptom severity.
Time frame: 5-week after intervention
Assessment of physical function
Physical function will be assessed using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). WOMAC will be recorded at baseline, at the end of the intervention period, and during follow-up. Higher scores indicate greater symptom severity.
Time frame: 5-week after intervention
Knee range of motion
Knee range of motion (ROM) will be assessed.
Time frame: 5-week after intervention
Incidence of adverse events
Incidence of adverse events will be recorded.
Time frame: 5-week after intervention
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