Is aquatic exercise more effective than land-based exercise for knee osteoarthritis?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease.
• Exercise therapy is a cornerstone in managing knee OA.
• Aquatic exercise (AQE) and land-based exercise (LBE) are common interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and compare the effectiveness of AQE versus LBE for knee OA.
• To evaluate outcomes including pain, physical function, and quality of life.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (Medline, Embase, Web of Science, etc.) up to September 24, 2018.
• Included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing AQE and LBE for knee OA.
• Risk of bias assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration Tool; data analyzed using Review Manager 5.3.

Main Results:

• Eight RCTs with 579 patients were analyzed.
• No significant differences found between AQE and LBE for pain, physical function, or quality of life in short- and long-term.
• AQE demonstrated higher adherence and patient satisfaction compared to LBE.

Conclusions:

• Aquatic exercise is a viable and comparable alternative to land-based exercise for knee OA management.
• AQE may offer advantages in patient adherence and satisfaction.
• Further research could explore specific benefits of AQE for daily living and recreational activities.