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Objective: To determine the effects of structured exercise programs on self-reported disability in older adults with knee osteoarthritis.

Setting and Design.A randomized, single-blind clinical trial lasting 18 months conducted at 2 academic medical centers.

Participants: A total of 439 community-dwelling adults, aged 60 years or older, with radiographically evident knee osteoarthritis, pain, and self-reported physical disability.

Interventions: An aerobic exercise program, a resistance exercise program, and a health education program.

Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was self-reported disability score (range, 1-5). The secondary outcomes were knee pain score (range, 1-6), performance measures of physical function, x-ray score, aerobic capacity, and knee muscle strength.

Results: A total of 365 (83%) participants completed the trial. Overall compliance with the exercise prescription was 68% in the aerobic training group and 70% in the resistance training group. Postrandomization, participants in the aerobic exercise group had a 10% lower adjusted mean ( /-SE) score on the physical disability questionnaire (1.71 /-0.03 vs 1.90 /-0.04 units; P<.001), a 12% lower score on the knee pain questionnaire (2.1 /-0.05 vs 2.4 /-0.05 units; P=.001), and performed better (mean [ /-SE]) on the 6-minute walk test (1507 /-16 vs 1349 /-16 ft; P<.001), mean ( /-SE) time to climb and descend stairs (12.7 /-0.4 vs 13.9 /-0.4 seconds; P=.05), time to lift and carry 10 pounds (9.1 /-0.2 vs 10.0 /-0.1 seconds; P<.001), and mean ( /-SE) time to get in and out of a car (8.7 /-0.3 vs 10.6 /-0.3 seconds; P <.001) than the health education group. The resistance exercise group had an 8% lower score on the physical disability questionnaire (1.74 /-0.04 vs 1.90 /-0.03 units; P=.003), 8% lower pain score (2.2 /-0.06 vs 2.4 /-0.05 units; P=.02), greater distance on the 6-minute walk (1406 /-17 vs 1349 /-16 ft; P =.02), faster times on the lifting and carrying task (9.3 /-0.1 vs 10.0 /-0.16 seconds; P=.001), and the car task (9.0 /-0.3 vs 10.6 /-0.3 seconds; P=.003) than the health education group. There were no differences in x-ray scores between either exercise group and the health education group.

Conclusions: Older disabled persons with osteoarthritis of the knee had modest improvements in measures of disability, physical performance, and pain from participating in either an aerobic or a resistance exercise program. These data suggest that exercise should be prescribed as part of the treatment for knee osteoarthritis.

JAMA.1997;277:25-31

Copyright 1997 by the American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved. Applicable FARS/DFARS Restrictions Apply to Government Use. American Medical Association, 515 N. State St, Chicago, IL 60610.