Effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy on functional ability in grade IV knee osteoarthritis - a randomized controlled trial.

研究概要

Thirty patients with grade IV knee osteoarthritis were randomized to receive either extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) combined with conventional physical therapy (CPT) (n=15) or CPT alone (n=15). The primary outcome of interest was the change in the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) score. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and after four weeks of intervention. Overall, the results showed a statistically significant improvement in LEFS scores in both groups, with the experimental group achieving an 81.92% improvement compared to 48.15% in the control group (p < 0.001). This suggests that ESWT in conjunction with CPT is more effective in enhancing functional ability in severe knee osteoarthritis.