Combined effect of pulsed electromagnetic field and pulsed ultrasound therapy in treating knee osteoarthritis

Abstract

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common disease that affects the knee joint in particular. Exercises, pulsed ultrasound therapy, and pulsed electromagnetic fields are all useful in treating patients with knee OA, however there is controversy in the research about which is more effective in treating patients with knee OA. Purpose: to see if adding PEMF to PUST will help reduce pain, improve function, and increase knee (ROM) in those with knee OA. Materials and Methods: Eighty patients, 45–55 years old, from both genders, had moderate unilateral knee OA. The VAS was used to measure pain, the WOMAC Index was used to assess health status and health outcomes for knee OA patients, the Timed Up and Go test and the 10 meter walk test were used to assess patients’ functional mobility, and the Electronic Goniometer was used to examine knee joint ROM. They were put into one of four groups: 1, 2, 3, or 4. PUST plus exercise therapy was given to group (1), PEMF plus exercise treatment was given to group (2), PEMF, PUST plus exercise treatment was given to group (3), and sham PEMF, sham PUST plus exercise treatment was given to group (4).

Effects of therapeutic ultrasound in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…We included 21 studies published in English, and the characteristics of the included studies were shown in Table 1 [ [32] , [33] , [34] , [35] , [36] , [37] , [38] , [39] , [40] , [41] , [42] , [43] , [44] , [45] , [46] , [47] , [48] , [49] , [50] , [51] , [52] ]. These 21 studies reported a total of 1315 participants aged 40–72 years.…”

“…Most of the included studies had small sample sizes, with only 3 studies having more than 40 participants per treatment group [ 40 , 41 , 48 ]. 10 studies were from Turkey [ 32 , 33 , 41 , 43 , 44 , 46 , [49] , [50] , [51] , [52] ]; 3 studies from China [ [38] , [39] , [40] ], and the rest from Egypt [ 35 ], Canada [ 44 ], Iran [ 37 ], Japan [ 42 ], and Brazil [ 36 ]. A detailed Cochrane library assessment tool assessment of the risk of bias was shown in Fig.…”

“…Only 15 trials reported random numbers generated by computer and random enumeration of closed envelopes to generate random sequences [ 32 , [34] , [35] , [36] , [37] , 40 , 42 , 44 , 50 ]. 16 trials described the low risk of allocation concealment [ 32 , [34] , [35] , [36] , [37] , [38] , [39] , [40] , [41] , [42] , 44 , 47 , 49 , 50 , 52 ]. Three trials [ 33 , 34 , 48 ] had a high risk of bias when it came to incomplete outcome assessment.…”

“…Three trials [ 33 , 34 , 48 ] had a high risk of bias when it came to incomplete outcome assessment. For other biases, such as commercial support, only 12 studies [ 34 , 35 , 37 , [40] , [41] , [42] , [43] , [44] , 46 , 47 , 49 , 50 ] declared that they did not receive any conflict of interest and 12 trials did not receive any support from commercial organizations funded by commercial organizations [ 48 ].…”