local quadriceps vibration training in knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled clinical trial

background knee osteoarthritis (oa) is a common joint disease and several different physiotherapy protocols have been recommended to provide pain relief and improve disability in patients with knee oa. objectives in order to find the effectiveness of local vibration application on knee oa complications, a randomized controlled clinical trial was designed to assess the changes in muscle torque, balance, pain perception, and physical function after local quadriceps muscle vibration in women with knee oa. patients and methods a total of 50 with knee oa (age range, 35–73 years of age) who were referred from outpatient clinic of semnan university of medical sciences were recruited in a single-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial and were randomly assigned to experimental group receiving local vibration over the quadriceps muscles in addition to conventional physiotherapy or control group receiving only conventional physiotherapy. the following measures were assessed before and after 15 sessions of intervention and after four-week follow-up: knee flexor and extensor muscle torque, dynamic and static balance indices, western ontario and mcmaster universities osteoarthritis index (womac) index, knee pain perception, active knee flexion range of motion (rom), and six-minute walking test (6 mwt). results knee pain, balance indices, 6 mwt, and womac index were significantly improved after intervention in both experimental and control groups (p < 0.05) while more knee pain relief, better balance performance, and more active knee flexion rom were found in the vibration group in comparison with the control group (p < 0.05). conclusions local vibration may increase the effectiveness of conventional physiotherapy protocol by reducing pain perception and improving balance control and active knee flexion rom in women with knee oa. more studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of different protocols of local vibration training on knee oa symptoms.