Effectiveness of an Elastic Knee Sleeve for Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis :A Randomized Single-Blinded Con trolled Trial
KINGKAEW PAJAREYA, MD*, NAV APORN CHADCHAV ALPANICHA YA, MD*, SUTEERA T TIMDANG, PT*
Affiliation : * Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand. t Supported by a research grant from Department of Research Promotion, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University.
Objectives : To study the effectiveness of elastic sleeves in patients with knee osteoarthritis (knee OA).
Method : Patients with knee OA attending the outpatient clinic of Siriraj Hospital, who met the eligibility criteria, were randomly allocated to receive an 8-week treatment protocol. The control group received acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and education. The study group received the same treatment, in combination with a daytime elastic knee sleeve. Primary outcome variable included change in aggregated functional performance time (AFPT).
Results : In the immediate period after treatment, the study group had a mean improvement = in AFPT of 1.63 seconds more than the control group (95% CI: 0.21-3.05, p 0.025). At the end of the 8'h week, the changes of AFPT were not statistically different between the two groups.
Conclusion : This study shows small short-term beneficial effects of an elastic sleeve in patients with knee OA in cases with acute exacerbation.
Keywords : Elastic Knee Sleeve, Knee Osteoarthritis, Randomized Controlled Trial
