Effects of Tai Chi Exercises on Patients Functional Status With Knee Osteoarthritis

Assessment of the Effects of Tai Chi Exercises on Balance and Functional Status in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether Tai Chi exercise, used as an adjunct to standard physiotherapy, can improve balance, functional status, pain, and knee joint mobility in older adults (65-75 years) diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis (gonarthrosis), compared with standard physiotherapy alone and physiotherapy combined with virtual reality-based training.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does adding Tai Chi to standard physiotherapy lead to greater improvements in static and dynamic balance (Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go test) in patients with knee osteoarthritis?

Does Tai Chi result in superior improvements in pain intensity (VAS), functional status (WOMAC), and knee joint range of motion compared with standard physiotherapy and VR-based training?

Researchers will compare three intervention arms-standard physiotherapy, standard physiotherapy plus virtual reality (Kinect-based biofeedback training), and standard physiotherapy plus Tai Chi-to determine whether Tai Chi provides greater clinical and functional benefits than the other rehabilitation approaches.

Participants will:

Receive standard inpatient physiotherapy for knee osteoarthritis

Additionally perform one of the following interventions for 30 minutes daily over 4 weeks:

Tai Chi exercises led by a qualified therapist, focusing on balance, controlled movement, and pain-free execution

Virtual reality-based balance training using a Kinect system

Undergo assessments before and after the intervention period, including pain, balance, functional performance, and knee joint mobility measures

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosed knee osteoarthritis
• Age between 60 and 80 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with significant knee joint effusion and excessive valgus or varus deformity of the knee joint
• Post-surgical status
• Patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 34
• Patients after knee joint surgery
• Patients with severe clinically significant comorbidities that could interfere with study outcomes
• Lack of patient consent to participate in the study, as well as non-compliance or diagnosed psychiatric disorders
• History of stroke and other neurological disorders