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Osteoarthritis of the knee is a common degenerative joint disorder in our ageing population. A combination of thermal therapy with a self-management exercise have shown a positive effect in the management of osteoarthritis of the knee. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of topical heat pack versus focal application of heat therapy at the acupressure points in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee.
Osteoarthritis of the knee is a common degenerative joint disorder in our ageing population. A combination of thermal therapy with a self-management exercise have shown a positive effect in the management of osteoarthritis of the knee. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of topical heat pack versus focal application of heat therapy at the acupressure points in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee.
A randomized control trial was conducted in 76 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, diagnosed by an experienced orthopedic surgeon. Following inclusion and exclusion selection, patients were randomly allocated to group 1 (Heat Pack) or group 2 (Thermal Gun). All patients received 30 minutes of treatment in each session, twice a week for 4 weeks. They also received an education program and taught home knee exercises. Outcome measurements were Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain intensity, muscle power, knee ROM, WOMAC and SF-12v2.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal Gun group | Experimental | The thermal gun applied on acupressure points in TCM. The thermal gun used a heat-generating ceramic head to apply a dual effect called "heat-and-light-pressure" on the acupuncture points. |
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| Heat Pack group | Active Comparator | A hydrocollator heat pack used to simulate traditional thermal therapy. The application of the heat pack was wrapped with six layers of terry towels to bring the temperature down to around 43°C. |
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| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal gun | Device | Thermal gun used a heat-generating ceramic head to apply a dual effect called "heat-and-light-pressure" on the acupuncture points. |
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| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain | 10-scale likert scale to measure pain level visually; Minimum = 0 and Maximum value = 10, and higher scores mean a better outcome. | Baseline |
| Visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain | 10-scale likert scale to measure pain level visually; Minimum = 0 and Maximum value = 10, and higher scores mean a better outcome. | After 1 year |
| Knee range of movement (ROM) | Knee range of movement (ROM) in the supine position using a goniometer; Numeric | Baseline |
| Knee range of movement (ROM) | Knee range of movement (ROM) in the supine position using a goniometer; Numeric | After 1 year |
| Quadriceps and hamstrings muscle strength | Quadriceps and hamstrings muscle strength were measured according to the Oxford Scale of Muscle Strength; Numeric | Baseline |
| Quadriceps and hamstrings muscle strength | Quadriceps and hamstrings muscle strength were measured according to the Oxford Scale of Muscle Strength; Numeric | After 1 year |
| Western Ontario and McMasters Universities (WOMAC) | Functional assessment with the validated Chinese version of the Western Ontario and McMasters Universities (WOMAC); Numeric | Baseline |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Ki-Wai Ho | Chinese University of Hong Kong | Study Director |
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| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33906695 | Derived | Ho KK, Kwok AW, Chau WW, Xia SM, Wang YL, Cheng JC. A randomized controlled trial on the effect of focal thermal therapy at acupressure points treating osteoarthritis of the knee. J Orthop Surg Res. 2021 Apr 27;16(1):282. doi: 10.1186/s13018-021-02398-2. |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D020370 | Osteoarthritis, Knee |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D010003 | Osteoarthritis |
| D001168 | Arthritis |
| D007592 | Joint Diseases |
| D009140 | Musculoskeletal Diseases |
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Group 1: Heat pack group; Group 2: Thermal Gun group
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Envelope
| Heat pack | Other | A hydrocollator heat pack used to simulate traditional thermal therapy |
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| Western Ontario and McMasters Universities (WOMAC) | Functional assessment with the validated Chinese version of the Western Ontario and McMasters Universities (WOMAC); Numeric | After 1 year |
| Short Form-12 version 2 (SF-12v2) | Quality of life evaluation; Expressed by Physical component summary (PCS) and Mental component summary (MCS); Both numeric, The higher score the better outcome | Baseline |
| Short Form-12 version 2 (SF-12v2) | Quality of life evaluation; Expressed by Physical component summary (PCS) and Mental component summary (MCS); Both numeric, The higher score the better outcome | After 1 year |
| D012216 |
| Rheumatic Diseases |