Article

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of a 12-week self-management and exercise
intervention (the PLE(2)NO program) in elderly individuals with knee
osteoarthritis. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Four different
community settings. SUBJECTS: Eighty individuals aged 60 years or older with
clinical and radiographic knee osteoarthritis enrolled in the study.
INTERVENTION: A combined self-management and exercise intervention (treatment
group) and an educational intervention (control group). MAIN MEASURES: The
primary outcomes were pain and other knee osteoarthritis symptoms (swelling,
crackling, limitation on movement, and stiffness), self-management behaviors
(communication with physician and cognitive symptom management), and functional
lower limb strength. Secondary outcomes were knee osteoarthritis-specific
health-related quality of life, self-perceived health, aerobic capacity, lower
and upper limb flexibility, and handgrip strength. RESULTS: In all, 67
participants, mean age 69.1 +/- 5.8 years, completed the study: 32 in the
Educational Group and 35 in the Self-Management and Exercise Group. A significant
group effect favorable to the Self-Management and Exercise Group was observed in
the following variables: communication with the physicians ( P = .048), aerobic
capacity ( P = .035), and functional lower limb strength ( P = .015). Although no
significant group effect was detected, clinical improvements in pain (31%) and
knee osteoarthritis symptoms (29%) were observed in the experimental group. No
improvements regarding cognitive symptom management, self-perceived health, lower
limb flexibility, and handgrip strength were found. CONCLUSION: This study
supports the importance of a combined self-management and exercise intervention
to improve functional lower limb strength and aerobic capacity in a Portuguese
sample. Additionally, pain and other symptoms have improved clinically.

Langue : ANGLAIS