A Preliminary Study Into the Effect of 2 Resistance Training Modes on Proprioception of Subjects with Knee Osteoarthritis

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a common health problem accompanied by pain and functional declines. Resistance training can reduce pain and functional declines and may also improve proprioception of the OA-affected knee. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare changes in proprioception among adults with knee OA who underwent 16 weeks of dynamic or isometric resistance training with those in control. Study Design: This study is a 3-group test–retest clinical trial. Methods: In total, 69 community-dwelling subjects completed proprioception assessments of both knees at baseline and following 16 weeks of their respective intervention. At baseline, subjects were asked to identify the knee that they considered as their more affected or painful side. Subjects were then randomized into a nonexercise control (n = 23), a dynamic resistance training group (n = 23), or an isometric resistance training group (n = 23). Exercise subjects participated in dynamic or isometric resistance training of the lower limbs using TheraBand® elastic resistance 3 times per week. Measures: Proprioception protocols assessed the time to detect passive movement and the ability to passively reposition the knee joint. Results: ANCOVA determined if changes in proprioceptive ability between baseline and the 16-week retest were different between any of the 3 study groups while using the baseline measures as a covariate. The isometric resistance group exhibited a 36% improvement in their time to detect passive movement of their more affected knee compared with the control group. The dynamic resistance training group showed a 19% improvement in passive repositioning of the knee joint of their more affected knee compared with the control group. Both the resistance training group did not show a change in proprioception in their less-affected knee compared with the control group. Conclusions: These findings appear to indicate that both dynamic and isometric resistance training may improve proprioceptive functioning among subjects with knee OA