Physical Therapists ’ Use of Therapeutic Exercise for Patients With Clinical Knee Osteoarthritis in the United Kingdom: In Line With Current Recommendations?

Background and Purpose. Physical therapists have an important role in the management of clinical knee osteoarthritis (OA) through designing and supervising exercise programs. This study explored whether their current use of therapeutic exercise for patients with this condition is in line with recent recommendations. Subjects and Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a ran-dom sample of chartered (licensed) physical therapists (N2,000) practicing in the United Kingdom. This survey included a vignette describing a patient with clinical knee OA as well as clinical management questions relating to the respondents ’ use of therapeutic exercise. Results. The questionnaire response rate was 58 % (n1,152), with 538 respon-dents stating they had treated a patient with clinical knee OA in the preceding 6 months. In line with recent recommendations, 99 % of the physical therapists stated they would use therapeutic exercise for this patient population, although strength-ening exercises were favored over aerobic exercises. Although nearly all physical therapists would monitor exercise adherence, only 12 % would use an exercise diary