Table 4.
An overview and key findings of the four studies included in the review
| Studies & trial design | Sample size | Setting | Health disciplines | OA sites | Mean age of participants (SD) | Primary outcomes within studies | Secondary outcomes within studies | Key findings of studies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hopman-Rock & Westhoff (2000) [16] RCT |
N = 105 Intervention = 56 Control = 49 |
Single Centre (Netherlands) Primary Care |
Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy (OT) and General Practitioner | Hip or Knee | Intervention =65.4 (5.3) Control =65.2 (5.7) |
IRGL self-reported pain. Pain severity (VAS) | QoL (VAS) QoL seven question sum score Activity restriction, ROM Muscle strength Observed activity restrictions Healthcare utilisation, lifestyle behaviour, BMI |
Significant MANOVA effects were found for pain, QoL, quadriceps, BMI, physically active lifestyle, and visits to the physical therapist. Most effects were moderate at post-test assessment and smaller at follow-up. No effects were found for range of ROM or functional tasks |
| van Baar et al. (2001) [19] Single blind RCT |
N = 201 Intervention = 99 Control = 102 |
Multi-Centre (Netherlands) Primary Care |
General Practitioner and Physiotherapy | Hip or Knee | Intervention 68.3 (8.4) Control =67.7 (9.2) |
IRGL self-reported disability, VAS pain in the past week | Observed disability, Drug use NSAIDs/paracetamol, Global perceived effect, muscle strength & ROM hip, knee, physical activity | At 24 weeks exercise treatment was associated with a small to moderate effect on pain during the past week (difference in change between the two groups −11.5 (95 % CI −19.7 to −3.3). At 36 weeks no differences were found between groups. |
| Rosemann et al. (2007) [18] 3-arm pragmatic cluster trial |
N = 1021 Intervention 1 =345 Intervention 2 =344 Control = 332 |
Multi-Centre (Germany) Primary Care |
General Practitioner and Practice nurse | Hip or Knee | Intervention 1 = 65.59 (14.68) Intervention 2 = 66.27 (15.19) Control =66.11 (15.02) |
AIMS2-SF QoL, lower body, upper body, symptom & social. | IPAQ physical activity, BMI, prescriptions. Health service utilisation | Compared with the control group, for intervention group II, significant changes in the AIMS2-SF dimensions social (p < 0.001), symptom (p = 0.048), and lower body (p = 0.049) were identified. Radiographs (P = 0.031) and orthopaedic referrals (p = 0.044) decreased whereas prescriptions of pain relievers increased significantly. |
| Hansson et al. (2010) [17] Single blind RCT |
N = 114 Intervention = 61 Control = 53 |
Single Centre (Sweden) Primary Care |
Physiotherapy, OT, Orthopaedic Specialist, Nurse, Nutritionist | Knee, Hip or Hand | Intervention =62 (9.43) Control =63 (9.51) |
EQ5D index and EQ5D VAS | ASES pain, function & other symptoms. GAT, SOLEO, SOLEC, One legged jump/raising, OA location & BMI | Significant differences between the intervention group and the control group, comparing the results at baseline and after 6 months in EuroQol-5D (p < 0.001) and in SOLEC (p = 0.02) in favour of the intervention group. |
Key: AIMS2 Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale, ASES Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale, BMI Body Mass Index, EQ-5D Euro QoL, European Quality of Life measure, GAT Grip Ability Test, IPAQ International Physical Activity Questionnaire, GP General Practitioner, IRGL Impact of Rheumatic Disease on General Health and Lifestyle, NSAIDs Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, QoL Quality of Life, ROM Range of Movement, VAS Visual Analogue Scale, SOLEO Stand On One Leg Eyes Open, SOLEC Stand On One Leg Eyes Closed