Exercise, self-efficacy, and mobility performance in overweight and obese older adults with knee osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE: To examine changes in mobility-related self efficacy following exercise and dietary weight loss interventions in overweight and obese older adults with knee osteoarthritis (OA), and to determine if self efficacy and pain mediate the effects of the interventions on mobility task performance. METHODS: The Arthritis, Diet, and Activity Promotion Trial was an 18-month, single-blind, randomized, controlled trial comparing the effects of exercise alone, dietary weight loss alone, a combination of exercise plus dietary weight loss, and a healthy lifestyle control intervention in the treatment of 316 overweight or obese older adults with symptomatic knee OA. Participants completed measures of stair-climb time and 6-minute walk distance, self efficacy for completing each mobility task, and self-reported pain at baseline, 6 months, and 18 months during the trial. RESULTS: Mixed model analyses of covariance of baseline adjusted change in the outcomes demonstrated that the exercise + dietary weight loss intervention produced greater improvements in mobility-related self efficacy (P = 0.0035), stair climb (P = 0.0249) and 6-minute walk performance (P = 0.00031), and pain (P = 0.09) when compared with the healthy lifestyle control intervention. Mediation analyses revealed that self efficacy and pain served as partial mediators of the beneficial effect of exercise + dietary weight loss on stair-climb time. CONCLUSION: Exercise + dietary weight loss results in improved mobility-related self efficacy; changes in these task-specific control beliefs and self-reported pain serve as independent partial mediators of the beneficial effect of exercise + dietary weight loss on stair-climb performance.     

Exercise and dietary weight loss in overweight and obese older adults with knee osteoarthritis: the Arthritis, Diet, and Activity Promotion Trial

OBJECTIVE: The Arthritis, Diet, and Activity Promotion Trial (ADAPT) was a randomized, single-blind clinical trial lasting 18 months that was designed to determine whether long-term exercise and dietary weight loss are more effective, either separately or in combination, than usual care in improving physical function, pain, and mobility in older overweight and obese adults with knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: Three hundred sixteen community-dwelling overweight and obese adults ages 60 years and older, with a body mass index of > or =28 kg/m(2), knee pain, radiographic evidence of knee OA, and self-reported physical disability, were randomized into healthy lifestyle (control), diet only, exercise only, and diet plus exercise groups. The primary outcome was self-reported physical function as measured with the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Secondary outcomes included weight loss, 6-minute walk distance, stair-climb time, WOMAC pain and stiffness scores, and joint space width. RESULTS: Of the 316 randomized participants, 252 (80%) completed the study. Adherence was as follows: for healthy lifestyle, 73%; for diet only, 72%; for exercise only, 60%; and for diet plus exercise, 64%. In the diet plus exercise group, significant improvements in self-reported physical function (P < 0.05), 6-minute walk distance (P < 0.05), stair-climb time (P < 0.05), and knee pain (P < 0.05) relative to the healthy lifestyle group were observed. In the exercise group, a significant improvement in the 6-minute walk distance (P < 0.05) was observed. The diet-only group was not significantly different from the healthy lifestyle group for any of the functional or mobility measures. The weight-loss groups lost significantly (P < 0.05) more body weight (for diet, 4.9%; for diet plus exercise, 5.7%) than did the healthy lifestyle group (1.2%). Finally, changes in joint space width were not different between the groups. CONCLUSION: The combination of modest weight loss plus moderate exercise provides better overall improvements in self-reported measures of function and pain and in performance measures of mobility in older overweight and obese adults with knee OA compared with either intervention alone.     

Physical exercise and comorbidity. Results from the Fitness and Arthritis in Seniors Trial (FAST)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Physical exercise is associated with a lower risk of disability. The impact of comorbidity on the benefits from physical exercise has not been clearly investigated. Elders with comorbidity may benefit from physical exercise to preserve physical function. METHODS: Data are from 435 participants with knee osteoarthritis aged > or = 60 years enrolled in the Fitness and Arthritis in Seniors Trial (FAST), who were randomly assigned to 18-month health educational (HE), weight training (WT), or aerobic exercise (AE) interventions. Comorbidity was defined as the presence of osteoarthritis and > or = 2 clinical conditions. Percent changes in the 6-minute walk test, self-reported disability and knee pain from baseline to 3-, 9-, and 18-month follow-up visits were analyzed according to comorbidity, using analysis of variance. Significances were adjusted using the Bonferroni method. RESULTS: Mean age of the sample was 68.7 years. In participants with comorbidity (n=197), those in the AE intervention showed significant improvement in walking speed, compared to WT and HE groups, since the beginning of follow-up. Subjects with comorbidity in AE and WT groups showed improvement of the disability score at the 3-month follow-up visit compared to those in the HE group. This improvement was maintained at the end of the follow-up by the only AE group compared to the HE one (p=0.06). In participants with comorbidity, the pain score was improved by the AE intervention. CONCLUSIONS: AE and WT interventions improve physical function in individuals with comorbidity. AE improves physical function and knee pain independently of the presence of comorbidity.     

Is serum leptin related to physical function and is it modifiable through weight loss and exercise in older adults with knee osteoarthritis?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of weight loss and exercise interventions on serum leptin and to investigate the relationship of physical function and osteoarthritis (OA) severity with serum leptin in older overweight and obese adults with knee OA. In addition, the study examined if serum leptin predicts weight loss. DESIGN: Longitudinal, controlled clinical trial of weight loss and exercise interventions. SUBJECTS: Community dwelling, older, overweight and obese adults (n=316; >60 years of age; body mass index >/=28.0 kg m(-2)) with symptomatic knee OA and self-reported difficulty in performing selected physical activities were recruited. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomized into one of four groups for the 18-month study duration: Healthy Lifestyle Controls, Dietary Weight Loss (Diet), Exercise Training (Exercise), and a combination of Dietary Weight Loss and Exercise Training (Diet+Exercise). The weight loss goal for the two Diet groups was 5% from baseline at 18 months. Participants in the Exercise groups were trained for 3 days week(-1), 60 min day(-1). MEASUREMENTS: Body weight, body mass index, serum leptin, physical function, and OA severity were measured at baseline, 6 months, and 18 months. RESULTS: Diet and Diet+Exercise groups lost 5.3 and 6.1% of their weight, respectively, at 18 months with the Exercise group losing 2.9%. There was a significant main effect of weight loss on serum leptin with a decrease in serum leptin averaged across the 6- and 18-month time points for the Diet and Diet+Exercise groups compared to the other two groups (beta=0.245; P<0.01). No main effect for exercise training was observed. Serum leptin was related to self-reported physical function. In all participants, a mixed model analysis demonstrated that lower levels of baseline serum leptin predict larger weight loss (beta=-2.779; P=0.048). CONCLUSION: Decreases in serum leptin may be one mechanism by which weight loss improves physical function and symptoms in OA patients.     

Exercise,self‐efficacy,and mobility performance in overweight and obese older adults with knee osteoarthritis

Objective

To examine changes in mobility‐related self efficacy following exercise and dietary weight loss interventions in overweight and obese older adults with knee osteoarthritis (OA), and to determine if self efficacy and pain mediate the effects of the interventions on mobility task performance.

Methods

The Arthritis, Diet, and Activity Promotion Trial was an 18‐month, single‐blind, randomized, controlled trial comparing the effects of exercise alone, dietary weight loss alone, a combination of exercise plus dietary weight loss, and a healthy lifestyle control intervention in the treatment of 316 overweight or obese older adults with symptomatic knee OA. Participants completed measures of stair‐climb time and 6‐minute walk distance, self efficacy for completing each mobility task, and self‐reported pain at baseline, 6 months, and 18 months during the trial.

Results

Mixed model analyses of covariance of baseline adjusted change in the outcomes demonstrated that the exercise + dietary weight loss intervention produced greater improvements in mobility‐related self efficacy (P = 0.0035), stair climb (P = 0.0249) and 6‐minute walk performance (P = 0.00031), and pain (P = 0.09) when compared with the healthy lifestyle control intervention. Mediation analyses revealed that self efficacy and pain served as partial mediators of the beneficial effect of exercise + dietary weight loss on stair‐climb time.

Conclusion

Exercise + dietary weight loss results in improved mobility‐related self efficacy; changes in these task‐specific control beliefs and self‐reported pain serve as independent partial mediators of the beneficial effect of exercise + dietary weight loss on stair‐climb performance.

     

The effects of high-intensity and low-intensity cycle ergometry in older adults with knee osteoarthritis

BACKGROUND: People with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee experience pain and deconditioning that lead to disability. This study challenged the clinical belief that repetitive lower extremity exercise is not indicated in persons with knee OA. The effects of high-intensity and low-intensity stationary cycling on functional status, gait, overall and acute pain, and aerobic capacity were examined. METHODS: Thirty-nine adults (71+/-6.9 years old) with complaints of knee pain and diagnosis of OA were randomized to either a high-intensity (70% heart rate reserve [HRR]) or low-intensity (40% HRR) exercise group for 10 weeks of stationary cycling. Participants cycled for 25 minutes, 3 times per week. Before and after the exercise intervention they completed the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale 2 for overall pain assessment, underwent timed chair rise, 6-minute walk test, gait, and graded exercise treadmill tests. Acute pain was reported daily with a visual analog scale and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index scale. RESULTS: Analysis of variance revealed that participants in both groups significantly improved in the timed chair rise, in the 6-minute walk test, in the range of walking speeds, in the amount of overall pain relief, and in aerobic capacity. No differences between groups were found. Daily pain reports suggested that cycling did not increase acute pain in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Cycling may be considered as an alternative exercise modality for patients with knee OA. Low-intensity cycling was as effective as high-intensity cycling in improving function and gait, decreasing pain, and increasing aerobic capacity.     

Effects of exercise adherence on physical function among overweight older adults with knee osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether high exercise adherence improved physical function among older adults with knee osteoarthritis (OA) who were overweight or obese. METHODS: Associations between exercise adherence, changes in 6-minute walking distance in meters, and self-reported disability (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index function subscale) after 6 and 18 months were examined among an Arthritis, Diet, and Activity Promotion Trial subsample (n = 134) using multiple linear regression models. RESULTS: Higher exercise adherence was associated with greater improvements in 6-minute walking distance after 6 and 18 months and in disability after 6 months. Pain and body mass index (BMI) contributed, to some extent, to explaining the link between exercise adherence and changes in physical performance and self-reported disability. CONCLUSION: Higher exercise adherence is associated with improved physical function in overweight and obese older adults with knee OA. This indicates that promoting adherence is clinically relevant when prescribing exercise regimens that also focus on decreasing pain and BMI.     

Comparison of two different viscosupplements in knee osteoarthritis – a pilot study

 A pilot study was designed to investigate the efficacy of two different hyaluronic acid preparations combined to physical therapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis in terms of reduction in pain and disability and muscle strengthening. Thirty-seven patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knees were randomly assigned into three groups. First group received a lower molecular weight hyaluronic acid plus physical therapy, second group received a higher molecular weight hyaluronic acid plus physical therapy, and the third group received physical therapy alone. The isokinetic knee muscle strengths and index of severity for osteoarthritis of the knee scores were evaluated at baseline, at the end of treatment (3 weeks) and at 3 months of follow up. At both short-term (3 weeks) and long-term (3 months) evaluations, index of severity for osteoarthritis of the knee scores were reduced in all three groups, while there was no significant muscle strengthening. Received: 13 May 2002 / Accepted: 21 November 2002     

Inflammatory biomarkers and physical function in older, obese adults with knee pain and self-reported osteoarthritis after intensive weight-loss therapy

OBJECTIVES: To describe the relationships between proinflammatory biomarkers and self-reported and performance-based physical function and to examine the effect of weight loss on these markers of inflammation.
DESIGN: Randomized, longitudinal, clinical study comparing subjects eating an energy-restricted diet and participating in exercise training with a control group.
SETTING: Community-base participants for the Physical Activity, Inflamation and Body Composition Trial.
PARTICIPANTS: Eighty-seven obese (body mass index (BMI) >30.0 kg/m²) adults aged 60 and older with knee pain and self-report of osteoarthritis.
MEASUREMENTS: Inflammatory biomarkers (interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), C-reactive protein, and soluble receptors for TNFα (sTNFR1 and sTNFR2)) and self-reported (Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index questionnaire) and performance-based (6-minute walk distance and stair climb time) measures of physical function at baseline and 6 months.
RESULTS: Mean (standard error of the mean) weight loss was 8.7% (0.8%) in the intervention group, compared with 0.0% (0.7%) in the control group. sTNFR1 was significantly less in the intervention group than in the control group at 6 months. sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 predicted stair climb time at baseline. Change across the 6-month intervention for sTNFR2 was an independent predictor for change in 6-minute walk distance.
CONCLUSION: These results indicate that an intensive weight-loss intervention in older obese adults with knee pain can help improve inflammatory biomarkers and that changes in these concentrations showed associations with physical function.     

A double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial of the gastric bubble for obesity

We investigated the effect of an endoscopically placed gastric balloon, the Garren-Edwards gastric bubble (GEGB), on weight loss in obese patients. Fifty-nine obese patients were entered into a prospective double-blind study and randomized into two groups. In one group (34 patients) the GEGB was inserted, and in the other group (25 patients) a sham insertion was done. All patients participated in a standard weight loss program consisting of dietary therapy, behavior modification, and physical exercise. The bubble was removed endoscopically after 3 months from both groups. Patients were followed for an additional 9 months after bubble removal and weight loss was monitored. Weight loss was the same in both groups at 3 months (18.7 lb vs. 17.2 lb). This was true whether determined by change in pounds, percentage of body weight, or body mass index. We concluded that the GEGB was of no added benefit as compared with sham insertion, when combined with a standard weight loss program. Because of the lack of proven efficacy and the relatively high cost, we recommend that such devices be restricted to controlled studies until significant benefits are proven.     

Physical therapy is effective for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized controlled clinical trial

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of physical therapy, given either as an individually attended treatment or in a small group format, in terms of pain, physical function, and health related quality of life for patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. METHODS: After 2 baseline assessments, 126 patients were randomized into one of 3 allocation arms: individual treatments (n = 43), small group format program (n = 40), and waiting list control (n = 43). After reassessment at 8 weeks, patients allocated to waiting list control were randomized into one of the 2 active treatment arms. Assessments included both self-report measures (WOMAC, SF-36) and objective measures of physical performance (gait analysis and muscle strength). RESULTS: Both physical therapy treatment allocations resulted in significant improvements in pain, physical function, and health related quality of life above the control group (standardized response mean 0.36 to 0.65). Improvements in the self-report measures were substantiated by significant correlated improvements in knee extensor strength and fast walking speed (rho 0.36-0.42). There were no significant differences in effectiveness between the 2 physical therapy allocations for any of the measured outcomes. Improvements gained were maintained for at least 2 months. Responsiveness to treatment was modified by loss of medial joint space width, the interaction being significant for physical function, gait, and knee extensor strength. CONCLUSION: Physical therapy, either as an individually delivered treatment or in a small group format, is an effective intervention for patients with knee OA. Responsiveness to this 8 week intervention was modified by loss of medial joint space width.     

Effectiveness of home exercise on pain and disability from osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomised controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of a home based exercise programme, designed to improve quadriceps strength, on knee pain and disability. METHODS: 191 men and women with knee pain aged 40-80 were recruited from the community and randomised to exercise (n = 113) or no intervention (n = 78). The exercise group performed strengthening exercises daily for six months. The primary outcome measure was change in knee pain (Western Ontario McMaster Osteoarthritis index (WOMAC)). Secondary measures included visual analogue scales (VAS) for pain on stairs and walking and WOMAC physical function scores. RESULTS: WOMAC pain score reduced by 22.5% in the exercise group and by 6.2% in the control group (between group difference p < 0.05, unpaired t test). VAS scores for pain also reduced in the exercise group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Physical function scores reduced by 17.4% in the exercise group and were unchanged in controls (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: A simple programme of home quadriceps exercises can significantly improve self reported knee pain and function.     

Home based exercise therapy for older patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVE: This 8 week randomized, double blind clinical trial compared the effect of a combined home based progressive exercise program and treatment with the nonsteroidal medication oxaprozin to treatment with oxaprozin alone on pain and physical functioning in older community dwelling patients with unilateral knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: Efficacy variables measured before and after 8 weeks included (1) pain using the Western Ontario McMaster (WOMAC) pain, physical disability, and stiffness subscales and a 10 point visual analog scale (VAS) before and after self-paced walking (SPW) and stepping (SPS) functional tasks; (2) physical function using the time to complete a self-paced 40 m walk (SPW) and 20 cycles of 2 steps (SPS): (3) physical activity level using the Physical Activity Scale for Elderly (PASE); (4) clinical measures of knee functioning (range of motion). One hundred seventy-nine men and women (mean age 74 +/- 6 yrs) with radiographic evidence of mild/moderate medial compartment OA were randomized to either a progressive home based knee exercise program (n = 88) or a control program (n = 89). All patients were given oxaprozin 1,200 mg per os daily. RESULTS: We observed significant reduction from baseline in activity related pain (VAS); and improvement in SPW and SPS test time, passive range of motion, and PASE after 8 weeks in both groups. These changes were significantly greater (p < 0.05) in the exercise versus sham group. CONCLUSION: Addition of a progressive exercise program to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory therapy in patients with knee OA can improve measures of activity and activity related pain more than medication alone.     

Efficacy of periosteal stimulation therapy for the treatment of osteoarthritis-associated chronic knee pain: an initial controlled clinical trial

OBJECTIVES: To examine the efficacy of periosteal stimulation therapy (PST, osteopuncture) for the treatment of chronic pain associated with advanced knee osteoarthritis. DESIGN: Randomized, controlled clinical trial. SETTING: Outpatient pain clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty-eight community-dwelling older adults with moderate knee pain or greater for 3 months or longer and Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grade 2 through 4 radiographic severity (80% had K-L 4). INTERVENTION: Participants were randomized to receive PST or control PST once a week for 6 weeks. MEASUREMENTS: Pain severity and self-reported function (Western Ontario and McMasters University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC)) and physical performance (Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB)) were assessed at baseline, after the last PST session (post), and 3 months later (follow-up). Pain severity was also assessed monthly using the multidimensional pain inventory short form. RESULTS: Pain was reduced significantly more in the PST group than in the control PST group at post (P=.003; mean WOMAC pain subscale baseline 9.4 vs 6.4) and 1 month later (P<.001), but by 2 months, pain levels had regressed to pre-intervention levels. The group-by-time interaction for the WOMAC function scale was significant at post (P=.04) but not at follow-up (P=.63). No significant group differences were found for the SPPB. Neither analgesic use nor global improvement differed between groups. There were four treatment dropouts. CONCLUSION: PST affords short-term modest pain reduction for older adults with advanced knee OA. Future research should test the effectiveness of booster treatments in sustaining analgesic benefits and of combining PST with therapeutic exercise in ameliorating disability risk.     

Attrition in an exercise intervention: a comparison of early and later dropouts

OBJECTIVE: To identify reasons for dropout and factors that may predict dropout from an exercise intervention aimed at improving physical function in frail older persons. DESIGN/SETTING: An 18-month randomized controlled intervention in a community setting. The intervention comprised 2 groups: class-based and self-paced exercise. PARTICIPANTS: 155 community-dwelling older persons, mean age 77.4, with mildly to moderately compromised mobility. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome measure was dropout. Dropouts were grouped as: D0, dropout between baseline and 3-month assessment, and D3, dropout after 3-month assessment. MEASUREMENTS: Measurements of demographics, health, and physical performance included self-rated health, SF-36, disease burden, adverse events, PPT-8, MacArthur battery, 6-minute walk, and gait velocity. RESULTS: There were 56 dropouts (36%), 31 in first 3 months. Compared with retained subjects (R), the D0 group had greater disease burden (P = .011), worse self-perceived physical health (P = .014), slower usual gait speed (P = .001), and walked a shorter distance over 6 minutes (P<.001). No differences were found between R and D3. Multinomial logistic regression showed 6-minute walk (P<.001) and usual gait velocity (P<.001) were the strongest independent predictors of dropout. Controlling for all other variables, adverse events after randomization and 6-minute walk distance were the strongest independent predictors of dropout, and self-paced exercise assignment increased the risk of dropout. CONCLUSIONS: We observed baseline differences between early dropouts and retained subjects in disease burden, physical function, and endurance, suggesting that these factors at baseline may predict dropout. Improved understanding of factors that lead to and predict dropout could allow researchers to identify subjects at risk of dropout before randomization. Assigning targeted retention techniques in accordance with these factors could result in decreased attrition in future studies. Therefore, the results of selective attrition of frailer subjects, such as decreased heterogeneity, restricted generalizability of study findings, and limited understanding of exercise effects in this population, would be avoided.     

Prognostic Significance of Potential Frailty Criteria

OBJECTIVES: To determine the independent prognostic effect of seven potential frailty criteria, including five from the Fried phenotype, on several adverse outcomes. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Greater New Haven, Connecticut. PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred fifty‐four initially nondisabled, community‐living persons aged 70 and older. MEASUREMENTS: An assessment of seven potential frailty criteria (slow gait speed, low physical activity, weight loss, exhaustion, weakness, cognitive impairment, and depressive symptoms) was completed at baseline and every 18 months for 72 months. Participants were followed with monthly telephone interviews for up to 96 months to determine the occurrence of chronic disability, long‐term nursing home (NH) stays, injurious falls, and death. RESULTS: In analyses adjusted for age, sex, race, education, number of chronic conditions, and the presence of the other potential frailty criteria, three of the five Fried criteria (slow gait speed, low physical activity, and weight loss) were independently associated with chronic disability, long‐term NH stays, and death. Slow gait speed was the strongest predictor of chronic disability (hazard ratio (HR)=2.97, 95% confidence interval (CI)=2.32–3.80) and long‐term NH stay (HR=3.86, 95% CI=2.23–6.67) and was the only significant predictor of injurious falls (HR=2.19, 95% CI=1.33–3.60). Cognitive impairment was also associated with chronic disability (HR=1.82, 95% CI=1.40–2.38), long‐term NH stay (HR=2.64, 95% CI=1.75–3.99), and death (HR=1.54, 95% CI=1.13–2.10), and the magnitude of these associations was comparable with that of weight loss. CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide strong evidence to support the use of slow gait speed, low physical activity, weight loss, and cognitive impairment as key indicators of frailty while raising concerns about the value of self‐reported exhaustion and muscle weakness.     

Effects of strength training on the incidence and progression of knee osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE: Quadriceps weakness is a risk factor for incident knee osteoarthritis (OA). We describe a randomized controlled trial of effects of lower-extremity strength training on incidence and progression of knee OA. METHODS: A total of 221 older adults (mean age 69 years) were stratified by sex, presence of radiographic knee OA, and severity of knee pain, and were randomized to strength training (ST) or range-of-motion (ROM) exercises. Subjects exercised 3 times per week (twice at a fitness facility, once at home) for 12 weeks, followed by transition to home-based exercise after 12 months. Assessments of isokinetic lower-extremity strength and highly standardized knee radiographs were obtained at baseline and 30 months. RESULTS: Subjects in both groups lost lower-extremity strength over 30 months; however, the rate of loss was slower with ST than with ROM. Compared with ROM, ST decreased the mean rate of joint space narrowing (JSN) in osteoarthritic knees by 26% (P = not significant). However, the difference between ST and ROM groups with respect to frequency of knee OA progression in JSN consensus ratings was marginally significant (18% versus 28%; P = 0.094). In knees that were radiographically normal at baseline, JSN >0.50 mm was more common in ST than in ROM (34% versus 19%; P = 0.038). Incident JSN was unrelated to exercise adherence or changes in quadriceps strength or knee pain. CONCLUSION: The ST group retained more strength and exhibited less frequent progressive JSN over 30 months than the ROM group. The increase in incident JSN >0.50 mm in ST is unexplained and requires confirmation.     

Effect of ultrasound on mobility in osteoarthritis of the knee. A randomized clinical trial

Ultrasound increases soft tissue extensibility and may be an effective adjunct in the treatment of knee contractures secondary to connective tissue shortening. A randomized clinical trial was conducted to determine the effectiveness of ultrasound in relieving stiffness and pain in patients (age x = 67.5 years, SD = 13.0) who had osteoarthritis (OA) and a chronic knee contracture. Subjects received 12 treatments of exercise preceded by either ultrasound (n = 34) or sham ultrasound (n = 35) and a blinded evaluation at baseline, after treatment, and 2 months after treatment. MANCOVA controlling for baseline scores showed that there were no significant differences in knee active range of motion (ROM) (goniometry) or pain (visual analogue scale) between experimental and control groups. Possible explanations for the no difference finding involve dosage issues, muscle shortening, transiency of effects, and the effects of exercise. Paired t-tests revealed that both groups significantly improved (p < 0.05) in active ROM, pain, and gait velocity, and maintained improvement for at least 2 months. Although ultrasound may not contribute to the management of patients with chronic knee stiffness and OA, benefits of the exercise program and increased activity secondary to program participation probably influenced the overall improvement.     

Exercise and depressive symptoms: a comparison of aerobic and resistance exercise effects on emotional and physical function in older persons with high and low depressive symptomatology

This study examines and compares the effect of aerobic and resistance exercise on emotional and physical function among older persons with initially high or low depressive symptomatology. Data are from the Fitness, Arthritis and Seniors Trial, a trial among 439 persons 60 years or older with knee osteoarthritis randomized to health education (control), resistance exercise, or aerobic exercise groups. Depressive symptoms (assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies--Depression scale) and physical function (disability, walking speed, and pain) were assessed at baseline and after 3, 9, and 18 months. Compared with results for the control group, aerobic exercise significantly lowered depressive symptoms over time. No such effect was observed for resistance exercise. The reduction in depressive symptoms with aerobic exercise was found both among the 98 participants with initially high depressive symptomatology and among the 340 participants with initially low depressive symptomatology and was the strongest for the most compliant persons. Aerobic and resistance exercise significantly reduced disability and pain and increased walking speed both, and to an equal extent, in persons with high depressive symptomatology and persons with low depressive symptomatology.