Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 12, 2026
The Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill for Knee Osteoarthritis Rehabilitation
Published on: July 22, 2019
Changes in co-contraction during stair descent after manual therapy protocol in knee osteoarthritis: A pilot,
Carlos Cruz-Montecinos1, Rodrigo Flores-Cartes2, Agustín Montt-Rodriguez2
1Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile; Laboratory of Biomechanics, San José Hospital, Santiago, Chile.
Introduction:
Manual therapy has shown clinical results in patients with knee osteoarthritis. However, the biomechanical aspects during functional tasks have not been explored in depth.
Methods:
Through surface electromyography, the medial and lateral co-contractions of the knee were measured while descending stairs, prior and posterior to applying a manual therapy protocol in the knee, with emphasis on techniques of joint mobilization and soft-tissue management.
Results:
Sixteen females with slight or moderate knee osteoarthritis were recruited (eight experimental, eight control). It was observed that the lateral co-contraction index of the experimental group, posterior to intervention, increased by 11.7% (p = 0.014).
Conclusions:
The application of a manual therapy protocol with emphasis on techniques of joint mobilization and soft-tissue management modified lateral co-contraction, which would have a protective effect on the joint.
