Effectiveness of exercise therapy added to general practitioner care in patients with hip osteoarthritis: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To assess the effectiveness of exercise therapy added to general practitioner (GP) care compared with GP care alone, in patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA) during 12 months follow-up.

METHODS:

We performed a multi-center parallel pragmatic randomized controlled trial in 120 general practices in the Netherlands. 203 patients, aged ≥45 years, with a new episode of hip complaints, complying with the ACR criteria for hip OA were randomized to the intervention group (n = 101; GP care with additional exercise therapy) or the control group (n = 102; GP care only). GP care was given by patient's own GP. The intervention group received, in addition, a maximum of 12 exercise therapy sessions in the first 3 months and hereafter three booster sessions. Blinding was not possible. Primary outcomes were hip pain and hip-related function measured with the HOOS questionnaire (score 0-100).

RESULTS:

The overall estimates on hip pain and function during the 12-month follow-up showed no between-group difference (intention-to-treat). At 3-months follow-up there was a statistically significant between-group difference for HOOS pain -3.7 (95% CI: -7.3; -0.2), effect size -0.23 and HOOS function -5.3 (95% CI: -8.9; -1.6), effect size -0.31. No adverse events were reported.

CONCLUSIONS:

No differences were found during 12-months follow-up on pain and function. At 3-months follow-up, pain and function scores differed in favor of patients allocated to the additional exercise therapy compared with GP care alone.

TRIAL REGISTRATION:

The Netherlands Trial Registry NTR1462.

• Authors: C H Teirlinck, P A J Luijsterburg, J Dekker, A M Bohnen, J A N Verhaar, M A Koopmanschap, P P van Es, B W Koes, S M A Bierma-Zeinstra
• Journal: Osteoarthritis and cartilage (Osteoarthritis Cartilage) Vol. 24 Issue 1 Pg. 82-90 (Jan 2016) ISSN: 1522-9653 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 26254237 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Pragmatic Clinical Trial, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2015 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Activities of Daily Living
• Aged
• Exercise Therapy (methods)
• Female
• General Practice
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Netherlands
• Osteoarthritis, Hip (therapy)
• Pain Measurement
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Treatment Outcome