COMPARISON OF THE EFFECT OF TWO THERAPEUTIC METHODS(TRADITIONAL & NEW) ON THERAPEUTIC PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

Knee osteoarthritis causes joint laxity, muscle weakness and atrophy. These factors compromise neuromuscular protective mechanisms of the muscle, cause excessive joint loading and increase pain and disability. This condition also causes balance impairment which in this patients may be due to proprioceptive impairment and quadriceps weakness. The object of the present study was to compare the effect of muscle strengthening and neuromuscular training methods on therapeutic parameters improvement in patients with primary knee osteoarthritis. In this study 30 subjects with primary knee osteoarthritis(mean age 59.8, range 50-65) were divided non randomly into two groups and received training in two special therapeutic methods. An electrogoniometer was used for evaluation of propriception and biodex stability system was used for assessment of the balance. Pain and activity of daily living(ADL) levels of the subjects were assessed by using an extensive questionnaire. Based on the obtained results, both therapeutic methods appeared to be beneficial in therapeutic parameters improvement in patients with primary knee osteoarthritis(P<0.05) but the neuromuscular control method appeared to be more benifical(P<0.05).