Effect of tele-rehabilitation on health outcomes in overweight and obese elderly women with locomotor disabilities from knee osteoarthritis: A randomised controlled trial.

Study Summary

56 overweight and obese women with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis (KOA) were randomized to receive supervised tele-rehabilitation or an unsupervised home exercise program for 8 weeks. The primary outcome of interest was pain intensity measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes included knee range of motion (ROM), functional disability measured using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), gait velocity, step length, cadence, sleep quality measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and quality of life measured using the Short Form-36 (SF-36). Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 2 months, and 6 months. Overall, the results of the study revealed greater improvements in pain, ROM, disability, gait parameters, sleep quality, and quality of life with tele-rehabilitation, with benefits maintained at 6 months. These findings suggested that supervised remote rehabilitation may provide greater and more sustained benefit than unsupervised home exercise in overweight and obese women with KOA.