Comparative Effects Of Russian Current And Isometric Resisted Exercise On Quadriceps Angle And Joint Space Width Among Patients With Primary Knee Osteoarthritis

Background Beneficial effects of Isometric Resisted Exercise IRE in the rehabilitation of patients with primary Knee Osteoarthritis OA are sometimes restricted due to associated co-morbidities. Objective This study compared the effects of Russian Current RC and IRE in the management of patients with primary knee OA. Methods A hospital-based quasi-experimental study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Osun State. Forty-seven consenting patients with knee OA participated in this study. They were randomly assigned to either IRE only IREO group or IRE plus RC IRERC group. Each participant received treatment twice a week for a total of eight weeks. Effects of intervention were assessed in terms of quadriceps angle and joint space width at the 4th and 8th week of intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with alpha set at p0.05. Result IRERC and IREO resulted in a significant mean change in quadriceps angle IRERC p0.005 IREO p0.001 score. However there was no significant mean change in joint space width of both groups IRERC p0.334 IREO p0.433. Furthermore there was no significant difference in the mean changes in quadriceps angle and joint space width scores between IRE plus RC and IRE only groups p0.05. Conclusion Isometric resisted exercise alone had a significant effect on quadriceps angle in patients with primary knee OA. However Russian current did not show additional effects.