Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jul;19(3):150-157.
doi: 10.1016/j.jesf.2021.01.003. Epub 2021 Feb 2.

Comparison of whole-body vibration training and quadriceps strength training on physical function and neuromuscular function of individuals with knee osteoarthritis: A randomised clinical trial

Zhangqi Lai  1 , Seullee Lee  1 , Yiyang Chen  2 , Lin Wang  1
Affiliations

Comparison of whole-body vibration training and quadriceps strength training on physical function and neuromuscular function of individuals with knee osteoarthritis: A randomised clinical trial

Zhangqi Lai et al. J Exerc Sci Fit. 2021 Jul.

Abstract

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the leading causes of global disability, which causes knee pain, stiffness and swelling. Impaired neuromuscular function may cause joint instability, alignment changes and knee stress, which leads to the progression of KOA. Whole-body vibration (WBV) training is considered to improve pain and functional mobility effectively. However, few studies have investigated the therapeutic effect of WBV on neuromuscular function in KOA.

Material and methods: A single-blinded, randomised, controlled trial was performed on 81 participants diagnosed with KOA. The participants were randomised into three groups: (1) WBV group, in which participants performed strength training (ST) with vibration exposure for 8 weeks; (2) ST group, in which participants performed ST without vibration for 8 weeks; and (3) health education (HE) group, in which participants received a HE for 8 weeks. The visual analogue scale for knee pain, isokinetic muscle strength test, proprioception test, Timed Up and Go test (TUG) and 6-min Walk Distance test (6MWD) were performed before and after the interventions.

Results: No significant difference was found on pain, proprioception, TUG and 6MWD. A significant interaction effect was found in isokinetic muscle strength between groups. Further analysis showed that compared with the HE group, the WBV group exhibited significantly greater improvement in isokinetic muscle strength (peak torque [PT] of extensors, p < 0.01, 95% CI = 0.11-0.33 Nm/kg; PT of flexors, p = 0.01, 95% CI = 0.02-0.19 Nm/kg; peak work [PW] of extensors, p < 0.01, 95% CI = 0.12-0.75 W/kg). In addition, compared with the ST group, the muscle strength of the WBV group (PT of extensors, p < 0.01, 95% CI = 0.10-0.32 Nm/kg; PW of extensors, p < 0.01, 95% CI = 0.09-0.71 W/kg) improved significantly.

Conclusion: Our findings suggested that adding WBV training to ST might benefit muscle strength around the knee joint in patients with KOA.

Keywords: Knee; Muscle strength; Physical therapy; Proprioception.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The whole-body vibration training with bent knee (60° and 30°).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Changes in isokinetic muscle strength parameters at an angular velocity of 90°/s The changes of the peak torque of knee extensor (A), the peak work of knee extensor (B), the peak torque of knee flexor (C) and the peak work of knee flexor (D) among groups. HE, health education group; ST, strength training group; WBV, whole body vibration group; PT, peak torque; PW, peak power.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Changes in isokinetic muscle strength parameters at angular velocity of 180°/s The changes of the peak torque of knee extensor (A), the peak work of knee extensor (B), the peak torque of knee flexor (C) and the peak work of knee flexor (D) among groups. HE, health education group; ST, strength training group; WBV, whole body vibration group; PT, peak torque; PW, peak power; #, p < 0.017, changed significantly compared with the HE group; &, p < 0.017, changed significantly compared the ST group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Neogi T., Zhang Y. Epidemiology of osteoarthritis. Rheum Dis Clin N Am. 2013;39:1–19. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ferreira R.M., Duarte J.A., Goncalves R.S. Non-pharmacological and non-surgical interventions to manage patients with knee osteoarthritis: an umbrella review. Acta Reumatol Port. 2018;43:182–200. - PubMed
    1. Cross M., Smith E., Hoy D. The global burden of hip and knee osteoarthritis: estimates from the global burden of disease 2010 study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2014;73:1323–1330. - PubMed
    1. Bijlsma J.W., Berenbaum F., Lafeber F.P. Osteoarthritis: an update with relevance for clinical practice. Lancet. 2011;377:2115–2126. - PubMed
    1. Heidari B. Knee osteoarthritis prevalence, risk factors, pathogenesis and features: Part I. Caspian J Intern Med. 2011;2:205–212. - PMC - PubMed