Physical therapy and health outcomes in patients with knee impairments

Abstract

Background and purpose: Physical therapy is usually initiated with the belief that treatment will improve patients health, particularly the ability to perform daily activities and function in expected roles. The purpose of this report to describe health outcomes and related factors in patients with knee impairments receiving physical therapy.

Subjects: Data were obtained from a sample of 426 patients with knee impairments treated in 63 physical therapy practices across the United States.

Methods: Data were obtained during 1993 and 1994 from the Focus on Therapeutic Outcomes database. Health outcomes over an episode of physical therapy care were described using the SF-36 and the Lysholm Knee Rating Scale. Multivariate analyses were used to determine which patient and treatment characteristics were associated with these outcomes.

Results: The patients health improved, as measured by all but one of the SF-36 outcomes scales, with effect sizes ranging from 0.18 to 0.93 in scales in which change occurred. The patient and treatment characteristics that were studied accounted for 23% to 37% of the variability in health outcomes.

Conclusion and discussion: Patients who were older, had no surgery, were out of work because of their health, or were depressed were more at risk for poor health outcomes than were patients without these characteristics. These findings suggest a need for physical therapists to look for new approaches to identifying and treating patients with these characteristics.