Background

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic progressive disease that imparts a substantial socioeconomic burden to society and healthcare systems. The prevalence of knee OA has dramatically risen in recent decades due to consistent increases in life expectancy and obesity worldwide. Patient education, physical exercise, and weight loss (for overweight or obese individuals) constitute the first-line knee OA treatment approach. However, less than 40% of patients with knee OA receive this kind of intervention. There is an unmet need for healthcare professionals treating individuals with knee OA to understand the current recommended treatment strategies to provide effective rehabilitation.

Objective

To guide physical therapists in their clinical decision making by summarizing the safest and most efficacious treatment options currently available, and by delineating the most traditional outcome measures used in clinical research for knee OA.

Conclusion

There is a need for healthcare providers to abandon low-quality and ineffective treatments and educate themselves and their patients about the current best evidence-based practices for knee OA.

中文翻译：

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膝骨关节炎：关键治疗方法和对物理治疗的影响

背景

膝骨关节炎（OA）是一种慢性进行性疾病，给社会和医疗保健系统带来巨大的社会经济负担。近几十年来，由于全球预期寿命的持续增长和肥胖症的不断增加，膝骨关节炎的患病率急剧上升。患者教育、体育锻炼和减肥（针对超重或肥胖个体）构成了膝关节 OA 的一线治疗方法。然而，只有不到40%的膝关节骨关节炎患者接受了这种干预。对于治疗膝骨关节炎患者的医疗保健专业人员来说，了解当前推荐的治疗策略以提供有效的康复治疗的需求尚未得到满足。

客观的

通过总结目前可用的最安全、最有效的治疗方案，并描述膝关节骨关节炎临床研究中使用的最传统的结果指标，指导物理治疗师进行临床决策。

结论

医疗保健提供者需要放弃低质量和无效的治疗方法，并教育自己和患者了解当前膝关节骨关节炎的最佳循证实践。