Growing Trends in Scientific Publication in Physiotherapy Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Bibliometric Literature Analysis.

There has been an increase in the life expectancy of people worldwide, especially in developing countries like India. Osteoarthritis, a condition that usually onsets during later decades of life, has also been on the rise, even with advancing technology. This has led osteoarthritis of the knee to become a global disabling condition of the lower extremity that increases dependency on the affected individual. A bibliometric study has not been conducted on knee osteoarthritis research. Therefore, a bibliometric analysis which includes statistical analysis of recent articles, books, and other forms of publications is done for evaluation of scientific output and to find the importance of scientific studies in terms of quality as well as quantity. The aim of this analysis was to evaluate the productivity of research articles indexed in PubMed related to the condition. The PubMed database was used and articles related to osteoarthritis of the knee, phonophoresis, and start excursion balance test were extracted. In the bib text format, all the files were downloaded and placed together. The R studio software (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria) for bibliometric analysis was then used, into which the research data was uploaded and a data framework of bibliometric analysis was made. Analysis of bibliometric publications related to knee osteoarthritis, phonophoresis, Otago exercises, star excursion balance test, ultrasound, and exercise therapy generated between 1989 and 2021 lists a total of 120 relevant documents from 75 sources with an average of 4.53 articles per year of publication. The use of an advanced PubMed database enables the extraction of adequate articles and powerful bibliometric analysis of the studies conducted on osteoarthritis of the knee published from 1989 to 2021. It includes an assessment of the contributions from major countries. This study allowed us to validate our methodology which can be used to evaluate research policies and promote international collaboration.

Physical Therapy Management in a Severe Case of Overlapping of Bone Post Crush Injury: A Case Report.

Crush injuries are sustained due to high velocity and usually have a poor outcome. Since the compressive forces are of high energy, such injuries are usually seen in road traffic accidents or in industrial workers. Crush injuries of the hand account for relatively a smaller percentage of the injuries to the hand and include an open wound along with fracture dislocation of the carpometacarpal, interphalangeal, and radiocarpal joints. Since these injuries are uncommon, they are often overlooked in radiological findings or misdiagnosed. Their recognition depends on a careful physical and radiographic examination that may require trispiral computed tomograms. Physical therapy rehabilitation post-surgery becomes a necessity, especially in cases where the dominant hand is affected. Functional rehabilitation to improve the independence and efficiency of activities of daily living is a goal of utmost importance.

C5 Nerve Root Palsy: An Uncommon Postoperative Complication and Its Management.

The standard treatment for multiple levels of cervical prolapsed intervertebral disk (PIVD) is anterior cervical decompression and fusion. Although it is associated with positive outcomes, it is also fraught with complications. In this report, we present an unusual postoperative case of a 58-year-old male who underwent anterior decompression and cervical fusion at two levels - C4-C5 and C5-C6 - for traumatic PIVD and developed a postoperative complication of unilateral C5 motor palsy, making it difficult for the patient to elevate the shoulder. This postoperative complication had no known cause, but it could be iatrogenic or due to structural variation. There is sparse research on possible ways to avoid this complication. Physiotherapy management is critical in improving the patient's functional recovery. The neck and upper extremity functional measure scale and Neurogenic Claudication Outcome Score (NCOS) scale were used for measuring outcomes. The patient also had a two-year history of tingling and numbness in both lower extremities, which was treated conservatively. The difficulties that physiotherapists encounter in managing this uncommon postoperative complication in addition to the lumbar PIVD make it unique. The key to a better prognosis is early detection and management.

High-Risk Fall Rehabilitation With Modified Otago Exercises and Medicinal Nano Gel Phonophoresis for Symptomatic Relief in Osteoarthritis of Knee.

Proprioception is a major affection faced by individuals who undergo lower limb injuries. Especially in the elderly population, this places a major role in increasing the risk of fall. We are reporting a case of an elderly female having severe pain in her lower limb and difficulties in performing activities of daily living. Post clinical assessment, a functional diagnosis of osteoarthritic knee was made. The patient was managed with proprioception exercises (Otago exercises) and phonophoresis. These exercises were also beneficial in improving the apprehension of patient towards daily activities, walking, stair climbing, and fall risk. The technique of phonophoresis helped in alleviation of pain when given with a beneficial adjunct, like a medicinal gel.

Superior Replacement of Medicinal Gel With Ayurvedic Nanogel as a Coupling Medium for Electrotherapeutic Treatment of Osteoarthritis: A Review Article.

Osteoarthritis is a disabling condition globally, affecting a major population. The non-invasive conservative management of osteoarthritis is majorly catered to by physical therapy rehabilitation. Research has been conducted to evaluate the impact of the most commonly used electrotherapy modality, therapeutic ultrasound, on reducing pain and increasing functional activities in individuals suffering from osteoarthritis, but the condition is still, after over two decades of research, growing rapidly in its prevalence. Therefore, the aim of our study was to analyze the literature and compare the evolving trends in coupling medium used for the application of therapeutic ultrasound in arthritic conditions of musculoskeletal origin. Databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Pedro, and Cochrane were searched till June 2022. The outcome measures used were to detect the status of pain and improvement in functional status. Overall ultrasound therapy adjunct to exercise program was found to be superior to either ultrasound therapy or exercise program alone for the management of pain and functional status of the patients. Additionally, phonophoresis was deduced to have shown better pain relief than conventional ultrasound. Phonophoresis was done using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and Ayurvedic medicinal herbs in the form of Nano gel.

Effect of Zingiber Cassumunar Roxb. Phonophoresis Versus Aqua Sonic Gel on Pain, Range of Motion, and Functional Disability in Patients With Osteoarthritis of Knee: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The aim of this trial was to collate, analyze, and compare the effectiveness of phonophoresis and ultrasound adjunct to Otago exercise program for pain, knee range of motion, and functional disability in patients with grades I and II of knee osteoarthritis. This is a single-blind randomized control study. A total of 52 patients with pre-diagnosed osteoarthritis on radiological investigation were included in the study. They were then randomly assigned into two groups: group A (n=26) received the experimental treatment, which included phonophoresis, and group B (n=26) subjects were treated with conventional physiotherapy. The interventions were given for six days/week for two weeks. Pain via the visual analog scale, knee range of motion via a goniometer, level of functional disability through the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, and balance through the star excursion balance test were evaluated. Measurements of the outcome were taken prior to initiation of intervention and on the day of the last session, succeeding the treatment. Statistically, both the groups showed significant improvement in pain, range, dynamic balance, and functioning. Between the two groups, no clinically significant difference was present for balance, but the intergroup comparison for pain and functions was statistically and therefore clinically significant. Phonophoresis treatment was observed to be effective in treating pain in osteoarthritis. Combined Otago exercises and phonophoresis with modified gel can be used to achieve superior clinical results.