1 research outputs found
Interstitial electrical stimulation for middle-aged, and elderly adults with early stages of knee osteoarthritis
of early stages of deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint. There is a need to explore the effectiveness
and mechanisms of modern methods of electrical therapy and their impact on the quality of life due to close
cause-and-effect relationship between the pain, inflammatory and destructive components of osteoarthritis
(OA) as one of the most common conditions.
The objective was to evaluate the effect of interstitial electrical stimulation (IES) as a monotherapy
in the course of conservative treatment of early stages of gonarthrosis based on clinical and biochemical
findings.
Materials and methods Radiographic findings, skin electrometry (objective parameters of pain intensity),
limb weight-bearing capacity, biochemical parameters of connective tissue matrix degradation in blood serum
and 24-hour urine samples, and treatment satisfaction were explored in 43 patients. Patients who received
a course of IES were assigned to the treatment group (n = 22) and patients who received standard treatment
without IES constituted the control group (n = 21).
Results Electrometric analysis showed a higher effectiveness of pain relief in the treatment group compared
to the controls with asymmetry coefficient measuring 3.2 ± 0.31 versus 1.9 ± 0.4 at p > 0.05. The weight‑bearing
scored 3.59 ± 0.34 versus 3.26 ± 0.2 at p > 0.05. The treatment group showed shorter treatment length
with 13.21 ± 1.2 days versus 18.3 ± 1.2 days in the control group at p > 0.05 and a higher degree of satisfaction
with outcomes scored 96.2 ± 2.59 in the treatment group versus 86.2 ± 3.17 in the control group. A statistically
significant difference (p > 0.05) was established in the levels of free and total hydroxyproline characterizing
the different intensity of collagen breakdown in the groups at the end of treatment.
Discussion The IES used as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory therapy was shown to be highly effective
with changes in the hydroxyproline level in the media suggesting a chondroprotective effect. The analysis
and comparison of objective parameters demonstrated high effectiveness of IES in the treatment of early
stages of gonarthrosis in middle-aged and elderly adults.
Conclusion The IES used for treatment of early stages of gonarthrosis helps pain reducing the intensity
of collagen destruction and improving weight-bearing