Summary of outcomes of a non-invasive biomechanical therapy for patients with knee osteoarthritis

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the second most frequent chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) condition after low back pain and a leading cause of disability in the elderly. The number of people living with disability will continue to rise with the aging of the population. Moreover, the rapid increase in rates of surgical intervention, i.e. Total knee replacement (TKR) and revision TKRs, is expected to place an immense burden on the health care system and society. There is a call for better rehabilitation, new interventions, and disease management for patients with knee OA. The purpose of this article is to review the biomechanics of knee OA and biomechanical interventions and to summarize the current literature on a non-invasive, home-based biomechanical treatment for patients with knee OA. The evidence suggests an improvement in symptoms and biomechanical indicators after using the home-based biomechanical intervention. In the presence of value-based payment to improve efficiency and effectiveness in delivering medical care, these results are promising.