A comparison between the effects of telerehabilitation and clinical-based rehabilitation in people with knee osteoarthritis

Objective. To compare the effectiveness of telerehabilitation and rehabilitation with physiotherapists in clinical in people with knee Osteoarthritis (OA knee). Methods. A randomized controlled trials were conducted OA knee patients had recruited after diagnosed with OA knee by physiotherapist according to the American College of Rheumatology clinical classification criteria. Participants were randomly allocated into 2 groups: clinical group (n = 21) and telerehabilitation group (n = 21). The outcomes were assessed at baseline and 6 weeks including knee extensor strengthening, knee range of motion, time up and go, and stair climbing and quality of life questionnaires including Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) Thai version and The 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) Thai version. Results. There was no significant difference in outcomes between the groups after 6 weeks. Based on the results of two-way ANOVA analysis, there was no significant interaction (time × group) in knee extensor strengthening, knee range of motion, time up and go, stair climbing, WOMAC Thai version, and SF-36 Thai version. However, we found a significant main effect of time (p<0.01). The total cost of the clinic group was 417.71±57.44 USD, which is significantly higher compared to the tele group with a total cost of 381.21±29.70 USD (p<0.05).Conclusion. Telerehabilitation can improve pain, knee muscle strength, range of motion, balance ability, knee function, and quality of life for people with osteoarthritis, as effective as clinical rehabilitation and can also reduce the cost and time of traveling.