Description

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive joint disease that can affect all structures that make up the joint, especially cartilage. The frequency of OA increases with age and can especially affect weight-bearing joints such as the knee and hip joints. The main symptoms of knee OA are pain, decreased joint range of motion (ROM), decreased muscle strength, functional loss, and limitation in daily living activities. However, studies conducted in individuals with knee OA report a decrease in quadriceps muscle and knee joint cartilage thickness and impairment in sensorimotor function (proprioception and balance).

Many pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods are used in symptom management of knee OA. In this context, physiotherapy and rehabilitation are among the frequently used non-pharmacological methods. Exercise, manual therapy, taping, aqua therapy, thermal therapy, and electrotherapy are the basic physiotherapy modalities used in OA symptom management. Electrotherapy involves many different agents with different therapeutic purposes. One of these is Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES). NMES is a non-invasive method that activates intramuscular nerve branches through surface electrodes placed on skeletal muscles and produces observable contractions. Although its most important therapeutic purpose is muscle stimulation, it also has contributions such as pain relief and sensory stimulation. Superimposed NMES technique (active NMES) is the use of NMES with voluntary muscle contraction. In superimposed NMES with active contraction, the patient is asked to actively contract the relevant muscle during each stimulation. Thus, exercise is performed simultaneously during electrotherapy application. When the literature is examined, there is no study investigating the effect of superimposed NMES with active contraction in patients with knee OA. In this context, the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of superimposed NMES with active contraction on physical function, muscle and joint structure, functionality and quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis.