Assessing the impact of home-based conventional exercise and cryotherapy on lower limb muscle strength and walking ability in individuals with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Background. K nee osteoarthritis ( KOA) i s a c ommon a ge-related joint c ondition c ausing discomfort, reduced physical capability, functional diminishment, and diminished life quality. Material and methods. I n t his c linical r andomized c ontrolled t rial, K OA-diagnosed individuals were randomly allocated into three cohorts: an experimental cohort (n=17), a control cohort (n=14), and a secondary control cohort (n=17). Interventions included two months of home-based exercise (HBE) with cryotherapy, exclusive HBE engagement for two months, and routine therapeutic and physiotherapeutic interventions at a medical facility. Results. The experimental and first control cohorts exhibited notably enhanced lower-limb muscle strength and walking capabilities compared with the second control cohort after two months. Both experimental and first control groups showed significantly lower fivetime sit-to-stand scores (5TSTS) and walking 40 meters scores compared with the second control group (p<0.0001). However, the control group displayed slightly improved scores in 5TSTS and 4x10-meter walking relative to the experimental group, though not statistically significant. Conclusions. Combining HBE with cryotherapy did not significantly improve lower-limb muscle strength and walking in KOA patients.