Table 2.
Comparison of outcomes between the groups.
| Variables | V1 | V2 | V3 | Time X group P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VAS-P1 | ||||
| Only TENS group | 4.00 (0.32) | 2.47 (0.36) | 2.63 (0.43) | 0.080 |
| LIPUS + TENS group | 4.16 (0.34) | 1.89 (0.21) | 2.53 (0.29) | |
| VAS-P2 | ||||
| Only TENS group | 4.95 (0.35) | 3.16 (0.41) | 3.00 (0.45) | 0.022∗ |
| LIPUS + TENS group | 4.89 (0.29) | 2.21 (0.18) | 2.74 (0.20) | |
| VAS-P3 | ||||
| Only TENS group | 2.68 (0.31) | 1.32 (0.39) | 1.05 (0.36) | 0.047∗ |
| LIPUS + TENS group | 3.00 (0.26) | 1.05 (0.19) | 1.53 (0.23) | |
| WOMAC | ||||
| Pain | ||||
| Only TENS group | 7.53 (0.84) | 4.63 (0.84) | 4.26 (0.86) | 0.160 |
| LIPUS + TENS group | 8.63 (0.71) | 4.53 (0.58) | 5.32 (0.71) | |
| Stiffness | ||||
| Only TENS group | 1.26 (0.41) | 0.58 (0.29) | 0.74 (0.35) | 0.298 |
| LIPUS + TENS group | 1.53 (0.35) | 0.68 (0.25) | 0.58 (0.19) | |
| Physical function | ||||
| Only TENS group | 20.89 (2.71) | 13.84 (2.38) | 10.79 (2.21) | 0.026∗ |
| LIPUS + TENS group | 25.05 (2.57) | 13.89 (1.99) | 15.84 (2.31) | |
| Total | ||||
| Only TENS group | 29.68 (3.63) | 19.05 (3.30) | 15.79 (3.22) | 0.055 |
| LIPUS + TENS group | 35.21 (3.38) | 19.11 (2.67) | 21.74 (3.03) | |
| FAC thickness (cm) | ||||
| Medial | ||||
| Only TENS group | 0.20 (0.01) | 0.20 (0.01) | 0.21 (0.01) | 0.453 |
| LIPUS + TENS group | 0.20 (0.01) | 0.20 (0.01) | 0.20 (0.01) | |
| Central | ||||
| Only TENS group | 0.21 (0.01) | 0.21 (0.01) | 0.21 (0.01) | 0.635 |
| LIPUS + TENS group | 0.20 (0.01) | 0.20 (0.01) | 0.20 (0.01) | |
| Lateral | ||||
| Only TENS group | 0.20 (0.01) | 0.20 (0.01) | 0.20 (0.01) | 0.666 |
| LIPUS + TENS group | 0.20 (0.01) | 0.20 (0.01) | 0.20 (0.01) | |
| SF-36 global score | ||||
| Only TENS group | 58.25 (3.92) | 66.34 (3.72) | 67.34 (4.18) | 0.659 |
| LIPUS + TENS group | 59.11 (3.81) | 69.85 (2.73) | 67.80 (2.53) | |
Data are presented as mean (SE). ∗P < 0.05. V1, visit 1 (pretreatment); V2, visit 2 (posttreatment period 1); V3, visit 3 (posttreatment period 2); TENS, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation; LIPUS, low-intensity pulsed ultrasound; VAS, visual analogue scale (range, 1 to 10), with higher values indicating worse outcomes; VAS-P1, visual analogue scale for knee pain at the current moment; VAS-P2, visual analogue scale for knee pain with movement; VAS-P3, visual analogue scale for knee pain at the resting position; WOMAC, Western Ontario and McMaster index with higher scores representing worse pain, stiffness, and impaired physical function; FAC, femoral articular cartilage; SF-36, the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey with a higher score indicating better health.