Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy for Mild-to-Moderate Knee Osteoarthritis: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Abstract
Background: Current treatments for knee osteoarthritis (OA) offer limited functional and structural improvements. Compared to age- and gender-matched controls, patients with knee OA show a higher prevalence of muscle weakness, which negatively affects their ability to exercise-a key factor in enhancing physical mobility and delaying disease progression. Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy shows promise in promoting myogenesis and chondrogenesis in pre-clinical studies. However, its effects on muscle strength and size, cartilage deterioration and overall physical function in knee OA patients remain unclear. This randomized placebo-controlled trial aimed to evaluate the impact of PEMF therapy on knee muscle power, lean muscle mass, femoral cartilage thickness, minimum joint space width (mJSW), lower limb physical functions and knee-specific patient-reported outcome (PRO) in patients with refractory mild-to-moderate knee OA.
Methods: Sixty refractory knee OA patients, aged 50 and older, with a pain score of 4 or higher were randomized to receive either PEMF or SHAM treatment for 30 min, 3 times a week over 8 weeks. Outcome measures, including muscle strength, lean muscle mass, cartilage thickness, mJSW, mobility and PRO were assessed at baseline, immediate post-intervention and 6- and 12-month post-intervention.
Results: Significant interactions were observed between PEMF therapy and time for both knee extension peak torque (p 0.05).
Conclusions: An 8-week course of…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design.
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