Muscle activation patterns around knee following neuromuscular training in patients with knee osteoarthritis: secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial

Authors

  • Shahzada Aadil Rashid Center for Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Center, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
  • Mohammad Ejaz Hussain Faculty of allied health sciences, SGT University Gurugram, Gurgaon, India
  • Pooja Bhati Faculty of Physiotherapy, SGT University Gurugram, Gurgaon, India
  • Zubia Veqar Center for Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Center, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
  • Adila Parveen Center for Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Center, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
  • Insha Amin Division of Veterinary Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences (SKUAST-K), Shuhama, Alusteng, Srinagar, Kashmir 190006, India
  • Shahzada Mudasir Rashid Center for Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Center, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India

Keywords:

Co-contractions, Knee pain, Neuromuscular, Exercises, Genus varum

Abstract

Objective: To compare the effects of neuromuscular training (NMT) to a quadriceps strength training (QT) program on co-contraction index (CCI) of knee muscles in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: Sixty-six knee OA patients with varus malalignment were recruited from the physiotherapy outpatient department of the university. After baseline measurements, they were randomly assigned into two groups: NMT (n = 33) and QT (n = 33). Patients in NMT group received neuromuscular exercises whereas QT group received conventional strengthening exercises for a period of 12 weeks, three times per week. Electromyographic (EMG) activity of quadriceps, hamstring and gastrocnemius muscle was evaluated during treadmill walking before and after 12 weeks of intervention period and CCI of medial quadriceps-medial hamstring (med QH), lateral quadriceps-lateral hamstring (lat QH), medial quadriceps-medial gastrocnemius (med QG) and, lateral quadriceps and lateral gastrocnemius (lat QG) was calculated. Results: There was a significantly greater reduction in CCI of med QH (p = 0.02) and lat QH (p = 0.01) in the NMT group than the QT group. Whereas both NMT and QT led to statistically similar reductions in CCI of med QG (p = 0.08) and lat QG (p = 0.66). Conclusion: Findings of this study suggest that NMT led to a greater reduction in CCI of knee muscles than QT which indicates that enhanced sensori-motor control attained by NMT could reduce knee loading in knee OA patients with varus malalignment.

References