Article

Prescription of resistance training (RT) exercises is an essential
aspect of management for knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, whether patients with
knee OA who are randomly assigned to receive RT simply substitute RT for other
modes of physical activity remains unclear.
The aim of this study was
to determine the effect of a structured RT intervention on overall levels of
moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) in patients with
early-onset knee OA. The study compared patients with early-onset OA who
participated in an RT program, those who participated in a self-management (SM)
program, and those who participated in both RT and SM. Because participants
randomly assigned to receive the RT intervention may simply switch activity
modes, resulting in little net effect, we assessed total MVPA in addition to
tracking changes in strength (force-generating capacity). DESIGN AND INTERVENTION: This study was a randomized controlled trial comparing the
effectiveness of SM alone, RT alone, and combined RT+SM on MVPA in patients with
early OA of the knee. SETTING: The study was conducted on a university campus,
with patient recruitment from the local community. PARTICIPANTS: The participants
in this study were 171 patients (74% women, 26% men) with knee OA. They had a
mean age of 55.1 (SD=7.1) years, a mean body mass index of 27.6 (SD=4.2) kg/m(2),
and radiographic status of grade II OA (and no higher) in at least one knee, as
defined by the Kellgren and Lawrence classification. They wore an accelerometer
while awake (X=14.2 [SD=2.2] hours) for 5 to 7 contiguous days (X=6.8 [SD=0.5]
days) at baseline and at 3 and 9 months of intervention. RESULTS: The
participants engaged in MVPA a mean of 26.2 (SD=19.3) minutes per day at
baseline. Both groups significantly increased their MVPA from baseline to 3
months (RT group by 18% [effect size (d)=0.26]; SM group by 22% [effect size
(d)=0.25]), but only the RT group sustained those changes at 9 months (RT group
maintained a 10% increase [effect size (d)=0.15]; SM group maintained a 2%
increase [effect size (d)=0.03]). A significant group x time interaction for MVPA
indicated that the RT group maintained higher MVPA levels than the SM group.
LIMITATIONS: Lack of direct measures of energy expenditure and physical function
was a limitation of the study. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with early-onset OA of the
knee can engage in an RT program without sacrificing their overall MVPA levels.
These results support the value of RT for management of knee OA.

Langue : ANGLAIS