Knee joint stabilization therapy in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee and knee instability: Subgroup analyses in a randomized, controlled trial

159 patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis (OA) who had self-reported knee instability in the past 3 months, were randomly assigned into 1 of 2 groups to determine the effect of knee stabilization therapy, prior to strength/functional training on reducing activity limitation. Patients either took part in an experimental programme that focused on knee stabilization, muscle strengthening, and performance of daily activities; or a control, that focused only on muscle strengthening and daily activities. Results of the study demonstrated that muscle strength, prior to intervention initiation, played a significant role in the effect treatments had on physical function in patients; suggesting that patients with greater muscle strength benefited more from the experimental programme with additional knee stabilization training, while patients with lower muscle strength benefited more from the control (no knee stabilization).