Core Stabilization Exercises in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis

The Effect of Core Stabilization Exercises on Pain, Function, Balance, and Quadriceps Muscle Thickness in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis

Exercise plays a key role in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, but there is no clear evidence on which type of exercise is most effective. Recent studies highlight the benefits of core stabilization exercises for improving knee stability. This study aims to demonstrate the effects of adding core stabilization exercises to conventional exercise therapy for patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Knee osteoarthritis is becoming a significant public health problem with the aging population. While there is no definitive cure, exercise is the main approach to treatment. Various types of exercises are being studied for their effectiveness in osteoarthritis treatment, and recently, core stabilization exercises have been highlighted for their role in lower extremity pathologies. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of these exercises on pain, balance, quality of life, function, and quadriceps muscle thickness in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

This study was designed as a randomized controlled double-blind clinical trial. Thirty-two patients were randomly divided into two groups: a conventional exercise group and a conventional+core group. A total of 18 home exercise sessions, performed three times per week for six weeks, were planned.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of bilateral stage II or III knee osteoarthritis according to the Kellgren and Lawrence grading system
• Aged between 50 and 65 years
• Having a complaint of knee pain for at least 6 months
• No systemic diseases that may hinder exercise (such as uncontrolled hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, heart failure, neurological sequelae, joint deformities, malignancy, etc.)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Having received physical therapy in the last 6 months
• Having undergone knee injection in the last 6 months
• Having had knee surgery
• Morbid obesity
• Presence or history of malignancy
• Individuals with severe visual impairment
• Individuals with a history of neurological or vestibular diseases that could cause balance problems, or patients using medications that may affect balance
• Individuals with serious cardiac, respiratory, or uncontrolled metabolic diseases