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. 2018 Nov 8:11:2781-2789.
doi: 10.2147/JPR.S169613. eCollection 2018.

The efficacy of electromyographic biofeedback on pain, function, and maximal thickness of vastus medialis oblique muscle in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized clinical trial

Seyed Ahmad Raeissadat  1 , Seyed Mansoor Rayegani  2 , Leyla Sedighipour  1 , Zeynab Bossaghzade  2 , Mohamad Hesam Abdollahzadeh  2 , Rojin Nikray  2 , Fazeleh Mollayi  3
Affiliations

The efficacy of electromyographic biofeedback on pain, function, and maximal thickness of vastus medialis oblique muscle in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized clinical trial

Seyed Ahmad Raeissadat et al. J Pain Res. .

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this survey was to examine the effect of adding electromyographic biofeedback (EMGBF) to isometric exercise, on pain, function, thickness, and maximal electrical activity in isometric contraction of the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) muscle in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: In this clinical trial, 46 patients with a diagnosis of knee OA were recruited and assigned to two groups. The case group consisted of 23 patients with EMGBF-associated exercise, and the control group was made up of 23 patients with only isometric exercise. Data were gathered via visual analog scale (VAS) score, the Persian version of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index and Lequesne questionnaires, ultrasonography of the VMO, and surface electromyography of this muscle at baseline and at the end of the study. Variables were compared before and after the exercise program in each group and between the two groups.

Results: At the end of the study, there were no significant differences between the two groups regarding measured variables. Only the VAS score was significantly less in the case group. Although all assessed parameters, except for VMO muscle thickness, were found to be improved significantly in each group, the degree of change was not significantly different between the two groups, except for VAS score. VMO muscle thickness did not change significantly after exercise therapy in either of the groups.

Conclusion: Isometric exercises accompanied by EMGBF and the same exercises without biofeedback for 2 months both led to significant improvements in pain and function of patients with knee OA. Real EMGBF was not superior to exercise without biofeedback in any of the measured variables, except for VAS score.

Keywords: EMG biofeedback; isometric quadriceps exercise; knee osteoarthritis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of the study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparison of patient satisfaction between the two groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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