The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2023 Feb 13;18(2):e0280941. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280941. eCollection 2023.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an 8-week proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching in relieving pain and balancing knee loading during stepping over obstacles among older people with knee osteoarthritis, and further explore the improvements in gait patterns.
Thirty-two older adults (66~72 years) with KOA were recruited and randomly assigned into PNF or control groups. They received PNF stretching or health lecture series for 8 weeks. Final data analyses were conducted among 13 participants in the PNF and 14 in the control groups. At weeks 0 and 9, they were asked to step over an obstacle of 20% of their leg length. The pain scores and knee abduction moment (KAM) (primary outcomes) were analyzed by multivariate ANOVA, and the gait variables (secondary outcomes) were analyzed by two-way (group by pre-/post) ANOVAs with repeated measures.
Significant interactions were detected in the pain score, first and second peaks of KAM, and crossing velocity during stepping over obstacles, and significant between-group differences of these outcomes were detected at week 9.
An 8-week PNF stretching could relieve pain and balance loading between knee compartments, as well as increase crossing velocity during stepping over obstacles.
Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2100042278.
本研究旨在探讨 8 周本体感觉神经肌肉促进（PNF）拉伸对缓解膝骨关节炎老年人过障碍时疼痛和平衡膝关节负荷的影响，并进一步探讨步态模式的改善。
招募了 32 名年龄在 66-72 岁的膝骨关节炎老年人，随机分为 PNF 组或对照组。他们接受了 8 周的 PNF 拉伸或健康讲座系列。最终数据分析在 PNF 组的 13 名参与者和对照组的 14 名参与者中进行。在第 0 周和第 9 周，他们被要求跨过一个高度为腿长 20%的障碍物。采用多变量方差分析分析疼痛评分和膝关节外展力矩（KAM）（主要结果），采用双向（组内/前后）重复测量方差分析分析步态变量（次要结果）。
在过障碍物时的疼痛评分、KAM 的第一和第二峰值以及穿越速度方面，均检测到显著的交互作用，并且在第 9 周时，这些结果在组间存在显著差异。
8 周的 PNF 拉伸可以缓解疼痛，平衡膝关节间的负荷，并增加过障碍物时的穿越速度。
中国临床试验注册中心：ChiCTR2100042278。
