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 7;57(7):696.
doi: 10.3390/medicina57070696.

The Efficacy of Manual Therapy in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review

Alexios Tsokanos  1 , Elpiniki Livieratou  1 , Evdokia Billis  1 , Maria Tsekoura  1 , Petros Tatsios  2 , Elias Tsepis  1 , Konstantinos Fousekis  1
Affiliations

The Efficacy of Manual Therapy in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review

Alexios Tsokanos et al. Medicina (Kaunas). .

Abstract

Background and objectives: Osteoarthritis (OA) is among the most common degenerative diseases that induce pain, stiffness and reduced functionality. Various physiotherapy techniques and methods have been used for the treatment of OA, including soft tissue techniques, therapeutic exercises, and manual techniques. The primary aim of this systemic review was to evaluate the short-and long-term efficacy of manual therapy (MT) in patients with knee OA in terms of decreasing pain and improving knee range of motion (ROM) and functionality. Materials and Methods: A computerised search on the PubMed, PEDro and CENTRAL databases was performed to identify controlled randomised clinical trials (RCTs) that focused on MT applications in patients with knee OA. The keywords used were 'knee OA', 'knee arthritis', 'MT', 'mobilisation', 'ROM' and 'WOMAC'. Results: Six RCTs and randomised crossover studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. The available studies indicated that MT can induce a short-term reduction in pain and an increase in knee ROM and functionality in patients with knee OA. Conclusions: MT techniques can contribute positively to the treatment of patients with knee OA by reducing pain and increasing functionality. Further research is needed to strengthen these findings by comparing the efficacy of MT with those of other therapeutic techniques and methods, both in the short and long terms.

Keywords: Mulligan technique; knee osteoarthritis; manual therapy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study flowchart.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Bijlsma J.W., Berenbaum F., Lafeber F.P. Osteoarthritis: An update with relevance for clinical practice. Lancet. 2011;377:2115–2126. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60243-2. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chan W.P., Lang P., Stevens M.P., Sack K., Majumdar S., Stoller D.W., Basch C., Genant H.K. Osteoarthritis of the knee: Comparison of radiography, CT, and MR imaging to assess extent and severity. AJR Am. J. Roentgenol. 1991;157:799–806. doi: 10.2214/ajr.157.4.1892040. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Muehleman C., Bareither D., Huch K., Cole A.A., Kuettner K.E. Prevalence of degenerative morphological changes in the joints of the lower extremity. Osteoarthr. Cartil. 1997;5:23–37. doi: 10.1016/S1063-4584(97)80029-5. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gamble R., Wyeth-Ayerst J., Johnson E.L., Searle W.A., Beecham S. Recommendations for the medical management of osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. ArthritisRheum. 2000;43:1905–1915. - PubMed
    1. Bennell K.L., Hinman R.S. A review of the clinical evidence for exercise in osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. J. Sci. Med. Sport. 2011;14:4–9. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2010.08.002. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources