Osteoarthritis year in review 2014: rehabilitation and outcomes

To highlight research studies examining rehabilitation for hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA), as well as the outcome measures used to assess treatment efficacy, published in 2013.

A systematic search was performed in Medline, CIHAHL and Embase databases from January to December 2013. The search was limited to 2013, human studies, and English. Rehabilitation intervention studies included were prospective controlled designs. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system was used to evaluate the quality of evidence. First, individual articles were rated for quality. Second, articles were grouped based on outcome: OA disease markers, pain, physical function (self-reported, performance), and health.

Of 503 titles reviewed, 36 studies were included. The outcome measures related to OA disease markers were organized into subthemes of anthropometrics, biomechanics and physiology. The quality of evidence was of moderate, high, and low quality for anthropometric, biomechanical and physiological measures respectively. These studies supported the use of diet for weight loss combined with exercise. Bodies of evidence that showed the efficacy of exercise and passive strategies (thermal/electrical modalities, traction, manual therapy) for reducing pain were of low and moderate quality respectively. The evidence supporting diet and exercise, physiotherapy, and passive strategies to improve physical function was of moderate quality. Evidence supporting exercise to improve psychological factors was of moderate quality.

Exercise combined with diet for weight loss should be the mainstays of rehabilitation for people with knee and hip OA to provide benefit to OA disease markers, pain, physical function, and health.