Knee Osteoarthritis Clinical Practice Guidelines
2. Methods 1. Study design
This study used a cross-sectional survey to investigate the impact of education on compliance with knee OA CPGs in Nepalese physical therapists.
2.2. Ethical consideration
The ethical exemption was approved by the Mahidol University Central Institutional Review Board (MU-CIRB) (COE No. MU-CIRB 2021/
261.1910) and the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) ethical board (618/2021 MT).
2.3. Participants
Participants in this study had more than one year of experience treating patients with knee OA in a variety of work environments, including private clinics, private and government hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, community centers, and private practice.
2.4. Procedure
A booklet containing information about this survey research was distributed via an online platform. A survey package was emailed to Nepalese physical therapists who agreed to participate in the study. The survey package included the cover letter, study details, informed consent, and a link to Google Forms. Before taking part in the study, physical therapists had to electronically sign an informed consent. The survey was done over the 3 months from January to March 2022.
In the questionnaire, demographic details were recorded and 15 statements were used to evaluate how closely physical therapists adhered to the CPGs and the most recent evidence (Table 1).
Table 1. Statements and recommendations from CPGs and recent evidence Statements and recommendations from CPGs and recent evidence
1. All patients with knee OA should get exercise following the Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type (FITT) approach.
2. In patients with symptomatic knee OA, the use of NSAIDs is advised.
3. Acupuncture is advised for people with symptomatic OA of the knee.
4. It is advised that patients who have a BMI of less than 25 kg/m2 lose weight.
5. Patients with symptomatic medial compartment knee OA are advised to use lateral wedge insoles.
6. Kinesiotaping is conditionally advised for patients with knee OA as it allows for knee joint range of motion.
7. TENS is used just for brief periods of time for pain relief to complement exercise treatment if an exercise program is impeded by discomfort.
8. Patient-reported outcomes and physical function will not be improved by combining resistance hip exercises with quadriceps workouts.
9. Patients with knee OA are advised to get massage therapy.
10. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) outcomes are less improved in obese patients.
11. Patients with knee OA following TKA are not advised to engage in continuous passive motion (CPM), passive mobilizations, shock wave therapy, thermotherapy, or ultrasound treatments.
12. Exercise therapy should be personalized and supervised for at least 12 sessions, two sessions per week, to get the necessary therapeutic benefit.
13. In order to alleviate muscle weakness, decreased sensorimotor control, and functional instability, neuromuscular training is beneficial.
14. Radiological imaging is suggested if considerable pathology is found and there has been no improvement after conservative treatment.
15. Patients with knee OA are conditionally advised to perform balance exercises, such as those that help patients better control and stabilize their body position.
The statements were constructed based on recommendations from many CPGs, including the American academy of orthopedic surgeons (AAOS), Osteoarthritis research society international (OARSI), American College of Rheumatology (ACR), Arthritis Foundation Guidelines, and systematic reviews [4-6, 9]. The survey questionnaire was validated by six experts with more than 5 years of experience working in musculoskeletal conditions. In response to their suggestions and comments, the draft of the questionnaire was modified and adjusted. Each item’s I-CVI was calculated by dividing the number of experts who rated it 3 or 4 as 1 and 1 or 2 as 0 and then dividing that result by the total number of experts. As a result, the average I-CVI score for this questionnaire was acceptable at 0.97 scores. After that, the pretest was administered by five physical therapists with more than one year of experience who specialize in orthopedic rehabilitation to evaluate its relevance and
comprehensibility as well as to verify the online survey procedure. The participants reported that each question was precise and relevant.
To monitor compliance with knee OA CPGs and recent evidence, physical therapists were asked to respond to statements about the knee OA treatment that were taken from various guidelines and systematic reviews. The level of agreement with the statements was determined using a 5-point Likert scale, which was expressed as 1) Strongly disagree, 2) Disagree, 3) Neither agree nor disagree, 4) Agree, and 5) Strongly agree [16]. The response scores were translated into correct “1” and incorrect “0” for the next analysis. In the evaluation procedure, a score of
“1” meant that the participants agreed with the right statement; a score of “0” meant that they disagreed with a right statement or agreed with a wrong statement, or could not decide how to rate the statements. For the level of agreement, we considered the mean score of ≥0.7 from 1
Table 2. Demographic characteristics (n = 177)
Variables Mean or number SD or %
Age (years), (mean and SD) 29.58 4.64
Education level, (n and %)
Bachelor 116 65.53
Master 61 34.46
Years of experience, (n and %)
1-10 years 122 68.93
>10 years 55 31.07
Extra training received*, (n and %)
Taping 78 26.25
Chiropractic 10 3.32
Mobilization 130 43.85
Dry needling 35 11.96
Acupuncture 11 3.65
None 23 10.97
Note: SD = standard deviation, n = number, * Participants have selected multiple options for additional training or credentials about knee OA.
as the acceptable degree of agreement. We evaluated the level of adherence to 15 statements in this study as follows: 7 as low, 7–12 as moderate, and >12 as high.
2.5. Sample size estimation
A sample size calculation was performed following a previous survey study (Bajracharya et al., 2019) that took into account the sample size, a 7% margin of error, a 95% confidence interval (CI), and 50% of the projected response rate. As a result, the required sample size of 177 participants was required.
2.6. Statistical analyses
The data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 23 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
The demographic characteristics were calculated using descriptive statistics and reported the data with mean, standard deviation, frequencies, and percentage. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05 for all testing. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to investigate compliance to knee OA CPGs between groups with master's and bachelor's degrees with experience and training used as the covariates.
3. Results
Over three months of the survey, there were 190 physical therapists responded to the questionnaire. Of this number, 13 were excluded due to they had no recent experience in managing knee OA.
3.1. Demographic characteristics
Table 2 displays the participant's demographic data. The participant’s average age was 29.58 ± 4.64 years. The majority of participants (65.53%) had a bachelor's degree and had 1−10 years of experience (68.93%). Additionally, a significant proportion of them obtained training in mobilization (43.8%) followed by dry needling (11.96%) and the extent number (10.97%) had no formal training.
3.2. Comparison of the compliance to knee OA CPGs and recent evidence between master’s and bachelor’s degrees physical therapists
Table 3 demonstrated the comparison of compliance to knee OA CPGs and recent evidence between master’s and bachelor’s degrees physical therapists. From the total of 15 statements in a questionnaire, there were only
Table 3. Comparison of compliance to knee OA CPGs and recent evidence between master’s (n = 61) and bachelor’s (n =116) degrees physical therapists (Adjusted means SE)
Statements
Adherence to knee OA CPGs
p-value Bachelor
(mean ± SE)
Master (mean ± SE) 1. All patients with knee OA should get exercise
following the Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type (FITT) approach.
0.878 ± 0.032 0.876 ± 0.048 0.450
2. In patients with symptomatic knee OA, the use of NSAIDs is advised.
0.537 ± 0.048 0.512 ± 0.072 0.070 3. Acupuncture is advised for people with
symptomatic OA of the knee.
0.412 ± 0.046 0.315 ± 0.069 0.829 4. It is advised that patients who have a BMI of less
than 25 kg/m² lose weight.
0.707 ± 0.044 0.692 ± 0.065 0.550 5. Patients with symptomatic medial compartment
knee OA are advised to use lateral wedge insoles.
0.152 ± 0.035 0.185 ± 0.052 0.161 6. Kinesiotaping is conditionally advised for patients
with knee OA as it allows for knee joint range of motion.
0.653 ± 0.046 0.476 ± 0.069 0.269
7. TENS is used just for brief periods of time for pain relief to complement exercise treatment if an exercise program is impeded by discomfort.
0.821 ± 0.037 0.729 ± 0.056 0.360
8. Patient-reported outcomes and physical function will not be improved by combining resistance hip exercises with quadriceps workouts.
0.628 ± 0.045 0.543 ± 0.068 0.212
9. Patients with knee OA are advised to get massage therapy.
0.465 ± 0.046 0.424 ± 0.070 0.029*
10. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) outcomes are less improved in obese patients.
0.317 ± 0.043 0.267 ± 0.064 0.336 11. Patients with knee OA following TKA are not
advised to engage in continuous passive motion (CPM), passive mobilizations, shock wave therapy, thermotherapy, or ultrasound treatments.
0.440 ± 0.047 0.366 ± 0.070 0.534
12. Exercise therapy should be personalized and supervised for at least 12 sessions, two sessions per week, to get the necessary therapeutic benefit.
0.766 ± 0.041 0.715 ± 0.061 0.344
13. In order to alleviate muscle weakness, decreased sensorimotor control, and functional instability, neuromuscular training is beneficial.
0.801 ± 0.039 0.754 ± 0.059 0.635
14. Radiological imaging is suggested if considerable pathology is found and there has been no
improvement after conservative treatment.
0.453 ± 0.047 0.416 ± 0.071 0.981
15. Patients with knee OA are conditionally advised to perform balance exercises, such as those that help patients better control and stabilize their body position.
0.734 ± 0.041 0.813 ± 0.061 0.623
Note: *p-value tested by the one-way ANCOVA using experience and training as covariates, SE = standard error, FITT = Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type of exercise, NSAIDs: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, TENS:
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, TKA: Total knee arthroplasty, CPM: Continuous passive motion
6 statements i.e., 1, 4, 7, 12, 13, and 15 scored
≥0.7. Likewise, physical therapists with master’s degree demonstrated acceptable levels of adherence to 5 of the 15 statements, i.e., 1, 7, 12, 13, and 15, as the scores of ≥0.7. Overall, both groups showed low compliance to knee OA CPGs.
As per the ANCOVA analysis (Table 3), physical therapists with master's and bachelor's degrees had equal compliance to knee OA CPGs and recent evidence. In addition, physical therapists with bachelor's degree showed slightly higher compliance to the CPGs and recent evidence than the ones with master’s degree for statement 9 [F (1,168) = 4.834, p = 0.029].
4. Discussion
This is the first descriptive study on the CPG compliance for knee OA care of physical therapists in Nepal. This study sought to determine how education affected Nepalese physical therapists' compliance with knee OA CPGs and recent evidence.
4.1. Demographic characteristics
The demographics of the participants had a mean age of 29.58 years, showing that Nepalese physical therapists were primarily younger.
Similar to those of a prior study [17], which discovered that Indian physical therapists were, on average, 26.09 years old. In addition, a significant proportion of physical therapists with bachelor's degrees in this study was similar to the other studies [10, 17, 18]. According to a prior study [19], physical therapists' clinical judgments were influenced by their educational background, which can be used to determine whether or not they were adhering to treatment standards. In addition, around two-thirds of participants had less than ten years of experience treating patients with knee OA. Furthermore, the majority of them had multiple training workshops, such as mobilization, taping, chiropractic, etc., while only a small percentage of physical therapists had no formal training. The ability to develop a suitable exercise program for patients with knee OA may be aided by formal training in addition to university education [20], but it is unclear
whether this will affect the PT's adherence to treatment recommendations.
4.2. Comparison of the compliance to knee OA CPGs between physical therapists with master’s and bachelor’s degrees
The results of our study showed that physical therapists with master's and bachelor's degrees only agreed on less than half of the 15 statements of the knee OA CPGs, indicating low compliance.
Physical therapists with bachelor's degrees agreed with 6 out of 15 statements on CPGs and recent studies on managing knee OA, compared to those with master's degrees who agreed with 5 out of 15 statements. Though both groups had low compliance to knee OA CPGs, physical therapists with bachelor's degrees somehow showed better compliance than those with master's degrees. In comparison to physical therapists with master’s degree, those with bachelor’s degree appeared to comply to statement no. 4 on weight loss advice for patients with BMI ≥25 kg/m2. This finding was consistent with guidelines recommendations [5] and similar to the findings of Battista et al.
[13]. Furthermore, it was discovered that the majority of participants in both groups agreed with statement 1 which were aware of the FITT concept when suggesting exercise to patients with knee OA. It has been found that different exercise types, intensities, durations, and frequencies have varying effects on OA patients [21]. Participants were found to comply with statement 12 which emphasized the need for clinically beneficial exercise. According to Skou et al. review study, a minimum of 12 supervised sessions held at least three times per week are necessary to produce higher outcomes [22]. Participants were also aware that neuromuscular exercise can help cure knee OA by reducing muscle weakness, enhancing sensorimotor control, and reducing functional instability [5, 23]. Participants were also aware of the conditional recommendation for balance exercises for knee OA, which was in line with the ACR recommendation [6].
With the exception of statement 9, the findings of our study revealed no significant differences in the compliance to knee OA CPGs
between physical therapists with master's and bachelor's degrees. This result was consistent with a prior study by Akodu et al. [12], which found no statistically significant correlation between respondents’ level of education and adherence to clinical practice guidelines.
Statement 9 addressed the use of massage therapy in patients with knee OA, which in accordance with the ACR guidelines, has advised against its use [6]. Both physical therapists with master's and bachelor's degrees were aware of the information that opposed the use of massage therapy in the treatment of knee OA, but when experience and training were considered, physical therapists with bachelor's degrees fared slightly better. This implies that graduates with a bachelor's degree may adhere to the treatment standards which may be due to adequate training and sufficient experience. In addition, the overall results showed no significant impact of education on the compliance to knee OA CPGs and recent evidence in Nepalese physical therapists.
In contrast to a prior study by Bajracharya et al. [10], where they found that physical therapists with master's degrees were more knowledgeable about research techniques and terminology, but both groups in our study showed comparable compliance to knee OA CPGs. A recent nationwide study conducted in Nepal [24], found that more than half of physical therapists reported a lack of enabling legislation and a lack of competencies as obstacles to the use of evidence-based physical therapy. This may help to explain why the majority of physical therapists in our study had insufficient compliance with knee OA CPGs. However, they were shown to be acquainted with guidelines and suggestions after ongoing skill development and training.
Nonetheless, Nepalese physical therapists still have a ways to go before adopting the evidence-based practice.
Despite the statistically significant differences found in just one statement in this study, scores were not differing much between the two groups of participants. Therefore, the practical interpretation of the data was limited. There are some limitations of this study that need to be discussed. Firstly, we did not investigate the
Nepalese physical therapists’ treatment pattern for knee OA and secondly, we did not look at the participants' practice settings (such as private clinics, hospitals, rehabilitation, community, etc., which would have had an impact on how closely they followed CPGs.
5. Conclusion
In our study, both the groups with master’s and bachelor’s degrees showed low compliance to knee OA CPGs and there was no discernible difference between the groups in terms of their compliance with knee OA CPGs. This finding suggested that higher education did not impact physical therapists’ degree of compliance with knee OA CPGs and recent evidence.
Recommendations
As the study’s results showed no noticeable difference in compliance with knee OA CPGs between physical therapists with master’s and bachelor’s degrees, future research can concentrate on exploring probable causes of this low compliance to treatment guidelines irrespective of their educational status. The additional study can look into their work environments and their clinical practice in greater detail to see if it complies or not with suggestions. The findings of this study can assist Nepalese physical therapists in critically evaluating their compliance with treatment recommendations for knee OA.
Acknowledgments
We appreciate everyone who took part in this study for their outstanding efforts. We value the representative of the Nepal Physiotherapy Association's help in disseminating the survey questionnaire broadly across the state of Nepal.
Finally, we would like to thank Mahidol Graduate Scholarships 2020 for financially supporting the study of this master’s program.
References
[1] Cui A, Li H, Wang D, Zhong J, Chen Y, Lu H.
Global, regional prevalence, incidence and risk factors of knee osteoarthritis in population-based studies. EClinicalMedicine. 2020; 29-30:
100587. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100587
[2] Blagojevic M, Jinks C, Jeffery A, Jordan KP.
Risk factors for onset of osteoarthritis of the knee in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2010;
18(1): 24-33. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2009.08.010 [3] Kshetri D, Selfe J, Sutton C, Rouse K, Dey P.
Prevalence of knee pain differs across ecological landscapes of the Western Development Region of Nepal. PRM+. 2019;
1(3): 73-7.
[4] Bannuru RR, Osani MC, Vaysbrot EE, Arden NK, Bennell K, Bierma-Zeinstra SMA, et al.
OARSI guidelines for the non-surgical management of knee, hip, and polyarticular osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2019;
27(11): 1578-89. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2019.06.
011
[5] Jevsevar DS. Treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: evidence-based guideline, 2ndedition. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2013; 21(9): 571-6. doi:
10.5435/JAAOS-21-09-571
[6] Kolasinski SL, Neogi T, Hochberg MC, Oatis C, Guyatt G, Block J, et al. 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis foundation guideline for the management of osteoarthritis of the hand, hip, and knee. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2020; 72(2): 149-62. doi: 10.1002/
acr.24131
[7] Golightly YM, Allen KD, Caine DJ. A comprehensive review of the effectiveness of different exercise programs for patients with osteoarthritis. Phys Sportsmed. 2012; 40(4): 52-65. doi: 10.3810/psm.2012.11.1988
[8] Gourdine J. Review of nonsurgical treatment guidelines for lower extremity osteoarthritis.
Orthop Nurs. 2019; 38(5): 303-8. doi: 10.1097/
NOR.0000000000000591
[9] van Doormaal MCM, Meerhoff GA, Vliet Vlieland TPM, Peter WF. A clinical practice guideline for physical therapy in patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis. Musculoskeletal Care. 2020; 18(4): 575-95. doi: 10.1002/msc.
1492
[10] Bajracharya S, Tharu NS, Bokalial D.
Knowledge, attitude and barrier to evidence-based practice among physiotherapists in selected districts of Nepal. J Nepal Health Res Counc. 2019; 17(2): 215-21. doi: 10.33314/
jnhrc.v0i0.1711
[11] Scurlock-Evans L, Upton P, Upton D.
Evidence-based practice in physiotherapy: a systematic review of barriers, enablers and
interventions. Physiotherapy. 2014; 100(3):
208-19. doi: 10.1016/j.physio.2014.03.001 [12] Akodu AK, Osundiya OC, Ajepe TO, Jegede
OM. Management of knee osteoarthritis:
Knowledge and adherence to clinical practice guidelines among physiotherapists in selected hospitals in Lagos state, Nigeria. Afr J Biomed Res. 2020; 23(3): 327- 33.
[13] Battista S, Salvioli S, Millotti S, Testa M, Dell’Isola A. Italian physiotherapists’
knowledge of and adherence to osteoarthritis clinical practice guidelines: a cross-sectional study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2021;
22(1): 380. doi: 10.1186/s12891-021-04250-4 [14] Sharma S. Impact of higher education on Indian
physiotherapy. Int J Sci Res. 2018; 7(3): 32-3.
[15] Hunt A, Adamson B, Higgs J, Harris L.
University education and the physiotherapy professional. Physiotherapy. 1998; 84(6): 264-73. doi: 10.1016/s0031-9406(05)65527-7 [16] Sullivan GM, Artino AR, Jr. Analyzing and
interpreting data from likert-type scales. J Grad Med Educ. 2013; 5(4): 541-2. doi: 10.4300/
JGME-5-4-18
[17] Saha P, Yangchen T, Sharma S, Kaur J, Norboo T, Suhail A. How do physiotherapists treat people with knee osteoarthritis and their evidence awareness: a cross-sectional survey among Indian physiotherapists. Int J Physiother Res. 2021; 9(4): 3968-73. doi: 10.16965/ijpr.
2021.161
[18] Dao HT, Pichaiyongwongdee S, Sullivan PE, Prasertsukdee S, Apinonkul B. Are physical therapists in Viet Nam ready to implement evidence-based practice? A survey. BMC Med Educ. 2018; 18(1): 317. doi: 10.1186/s12909-018-1428-3
[19] Wainwright SF, Shepard KF, Harman LB, Stephens J. Factors that influence the clinical decision making of novice and experienced physical therapists. Phys Ther. 2011; 91(1): 87-101. doi: 10.2522/ptj.20100161
[20] Holden MA, Nicholls EE, Hay EM, Foster NE.
Physical therapists’ use of therapeutic exercise for patients with clinical knee osteoarthritis in the United kingdom: in line with current recommendations? Phys Ther. 2008; 88(10):
1109-21. doi: 10.2522/ptj.20080077
[21] Kong H, Wang XQ, Zhang XA. Exercise for osteoarthritis: a literature review of pathology and mechanism. Front Aging Neurosci. 2022;
14: 854026. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.854026
[22] Skou ST, Roos EM. Physical therapy for patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis:
supervised, active treatment is current best practice. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2019; 37 Suppl 120(5): 112-7.
[23] Tayfur B, Morrissey D, Miller SC.
Neuromuscular alterations in knee osteoarthritis:
a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2020; 28: S218-9. doi:
10.1016/j.joca.2020.02.357
[24] Nepal GM, Acharya RS, Coppieters MW, Bimali I, Poudel S, Chaudhary B, et al. The physiotherapy workforce in Nepal: a national survey. J Eval Clin Pract. 2022: 1-14. doi:
10.1111/jep.13729
CONFERENCE PROCEED