Tedeschi Roberto, Platano Daniela, Pillastrini Paolo, Berti Lisa, Benedetti Maria Grazia
Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy.
Digit Health. 2024 Oct 29;10:20552076241286186. doi: 10.1177/20552076241286186. eCollection 2024 Jan-Dec.
The primary objective of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of tele-rehabilitation (TR) compared to conventional rehabilitation (CT) in reducing pain (as measured by the Numeric Pain Rating Scale [NPRS]) in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Secondary objectives included assessing changes in physical function and quality of life, as measured by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the Short Form-36 (SF-36) health survey, respectively.
Fifty-five patients diagnosed with knee OA were randomly allocated to either the TR group ( = 29), receiving remote physiotherapy sessions three times a week for four weeks, or the CT group ( = 26), undergoing traditional outpatient rehabilitation with the same exercise regimen. Outcomes were measured at baseline and after a three-month follow-up period.
At baseline, there were no significant differences between groups in terms of NPRS and WOMAC scores. After three months, both the CT and the TR groups showed significant improvements in pain reduction (NPRS, < 0.001), WOMAC score ( < 0.001), and in some subscales of the SF-36 (i.e., physical functioning, role limitation attributable to physical problems, energy, and pain).
Tele-rehabilitation is an effective alternative to CT for reducing pain and improving quality of life in patients with knee OA. These findings suggest that TR can be incorporated alongside conventional approaches to provide a comprehensive treatment strategy for managing knee OA, enhancing patient outcomes in various dimensions of well-being. Trial registration NCT05719350; Telerehabilitation in Patients With Osteoarthritis (TABLET).
这项随机对照试验的主要目的是评估远程康复（TR）与传统康复（CT）相比，在减轻膝关节骨关节炎（OA）患者疼痛方面的有效性（通过数字疼痛评分量表[NPRS]测量）。次要目标包括分别通过西安大略和麦克马斯特大学骨关节炎指数（WOMAC）和简短健康调查问卷36项（SF-36）评估身体功能和生活质量的变化。
55名被诊断为膝关节OA的患者被随机分配到TR组（n = 29），接受为期四周、每周三次的远程物理治疗，或CT组（n = 26），接受相同运动方案的传统门诊康复治疗。在基线期和三个月随访期后测量结果。
在基线期，两组在NPRS和WOMAC评分方面无显著差异。三个月后，CT组和TR组在疼痛减轻（NPRS，P < 0.001）、WOMAC评分（P < 0.001）以及SF-36的一些子量表（即身体功能、因身体问题导致的角色限制、精力和疼痛）方面均有显著改善。
远程康复是传统康复的有效替代方案，可减轻膝关节OA患者的疼痛并改善生活质量。这些发现表明，TR可与传统方法相结合，为管理膝关节OA提供全面的治疗策略，在各个幸福维度上提高患者的治疗效果。试验注册号NCT05719350；骨关节炎患者的远程康复（TABLET）。
