Knee osteoarthritis
Also called: knee arthritis
Wear-related changes in the knee joint that cause pain and stiffness. Exercise is one of the most studied treatments.
Where the evidence stands
- No AOPT clinical practice guideline in our library yet — lean on the reviews below.
- 6 recent reviews (systematic reviews and meta-analyses) and 6 recent randomized trials shown below.
- Most recent publication here: Oct 1, 2026.
Outcome measures clinicians use to track progress: Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), 30-Second Sit to Stand (30s STS).
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Studies of studies — each pools the results of many trials.
- Weight-bearing locomotion mitigates the progression of post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis in male rodents: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Systematic review of cost-effectiveness analyses of weight loss interventions for knee osteoarthritis
- Extended Reality Interventions for Osteoarthritis of the Knee and Recovery After Total Knee Arthroplasty: Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses
- Tailoring Resistance Exercise for Knee Osteoarthritis: An Intervention Systematic Review With Dose-Response Meta-analysis of the Effects of Intensity and Volume
- Virtual Reality-assisted Physiotherapeutic Training for Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
- Intervention Strategies for Preventing Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review
Lifestyle self-management shows early promise for preventing knee OA pain in overweight women, but the overall prevention evidence base is very small and largely inconclusive.
Recent randomized trials
Newest first. Single trials are building blocks; weigh them against the reviews.
- Effects of Using High-Frequency TENS During an Exercise Therapy Program in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial
- The Role of Eccentric Contraction Training in the Postoperative Rehabilitation of Patients With Total Knee Arthroplasty
- [Clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness evaluation of acupoint thread-embedding for knee osteoarthritis of early to middle stage]
- Efficacy of high-intensity laser therapy versus ultrasound therapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial
- Effects of Internet-Based Neuromuscular Versus Quadriceps Exercise on Pain and Function in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial
- The effectiveness of resistance training for patients with degenerative arthritis after total joint arthroplasty: a pilot randomized controlled study
Studies without a summary yet get one the first time a Limbic member opens them, or within a few days.