Kåre Birger Hagen

Physical Therapy Interventions for Patients With Osteoarthritis of the Knee: An Overview of Systematic Reviews

Patients with osteoarthritis of the knee are commonly treated by physical therapists. Practice should be informed by updated evidence from systematic reviews. The purpose of this article is to summarize the evidence from systematic reviews on the effectiveness of physical therapy for patients with knee osteoarthritis. Systematic reviews published between 2000 and 2007 were identified by a comprehensive literature search. We graded the quality of evidence across reviews for each comparison and outcome. Twenty-three systematic reviews on physical therapy interventions for patients with knee osteoarthritis were included. There is high-quality evidence that exercise and weight reduction reduce pain and improve physical function in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. There is moderate-quality evidence that acupuncture, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and low-level laser therapy reduce pain and that psychoeducational interventions improve psychological outcomes. For other interventions and outcomes, the quality of evidence is low or there is no evidence from systematic reviews.

Effectiveness of Nonpharmacological and Nonsurgical Interventions for Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Overview of Systematic Reviews

Conclusions based on systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials are considered to provide the highest level of evidence about the effectiveness of an intervention. This overview summarizes the available evidence from systematic reviews on the effects of nonpharmacological and nonsurgical interventions for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Systematic reviews of studies of patients with RA (aged >18 years) published between 2000 and 2007 were identified by comprehensive literature searches. Methodological quality was independently assessed by 2 authors, and the quality of evidence was summarized by explicit methods. Pain, function, and patient global assessment were considered primary outcomes of interest. Twenty-eight systematic reviews were included in this overview. High-quality evidence was found for beneficial effects of joint protection and patient education, moderate-quality evidence was found for beneficial effects of herbal therapy (gamma-linolenic acid) and low-level laser therapy, and low-quality evidence was found for the effectiveness of the other interventions. The quality of evidence for the effectiveness of most nonpharmacological and nonsurgical interventions in RA is moderate to low.

Effectiveness of Nonpharmacological and Nonsurgical Interventions for Hip Osteoarthritis: An Umbrella Review of High-Quality Systematic Reviews

An increasing number of systematic reviews are available regarding nonpharmacological and nonsurgical interventions for hip osteoarthritis (OA). The objectives of this article are to identify high-quality systematic reviews on the effect of nonpharmacological and nonsurgical interventions for hip OA and to summarize available high-quality evidence for these treatment approaches. The authors identified and screened 204 reviews. Two independent reviewers using a previously pilot-tested quality assessment form assessed the full text of 58 reviews. Six reviews were of sufficient high quality and could be included for further analyses. There was moderate-quality evidence that acupuncture and diacerein have no effect on pain and function. There was low-quality evidence that strengthening exercises and avocado/soybean unsaponifiables reduce pain and that diacerein decreases radiographic OA progression. There was insufficient high-quality evidence regarding nonpharmacological and nonsurgical interventions for hip OA, and further primary studies and reviews are needed.

How to Develop Patient-Centered Research: Some Perspectives Based on Surveys Among People With Rheumatic Diseases in Scandinavia

Patient-centered research addresses the research agenda of patients and captures aspects of health and functioning that they consider important. Yet, those who live with a disease or condition have limited influence when it comes to setting the research agenda, and we know little about how they experience being participants in research studies. Furthermore, knowledge is limited concerning factors enhancing or hindering patients participation in trials and the format that people with rheumatic diseases and their families prefer for dissemination of the results from clinical research. This perspective article describes the research priorities of people with rheumatic diseases in Scandinavia, their experiences and attitudes concerning participation in research projects, and which format for research information they prefer. Based on results from 3 surveys organized by the Scandinavian Rheumatism Associations and on related research literature, the possible implications for future research also are discussed.

Identification of shoulder-specific patient acceptable symptom state in patients with rheumatic diseases undergoing shoulder surgery.

STUDY DESIGNnClinical measurement study with a longitudinal design.nnnOBJECTIVEnEstimate Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) thresholds in six shoulder outcome measures and two pain scales.nnnMETHODSnPatients with rheumatic diseases undergoing shoulder surgery were assessed at baseline and one-year follow-up (with Bostrom Shoulder Movement Impairment Scale, Constant, Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand [DASH], Oxford Shoulder Score [Oxford], Shoulder Function Assessment Scale, Shoulder Pain and Disability Index [Spadi], and two visual analog pain scales [VAS]). PASS thresholds were estimated using the 75th percentile and the receiver operating characteristic curve approach.nnnRESULTSnOne hundred patients were included; 74 (74%) patients considered their shoulder function to be acceptable (PASS+), which was significantly associated with being female, odds ratio (OR) 4.54, and having better functional status (Health Assessment Questionnaire), OR 0.17 (p<0.05). Activity-related pain (VAS), the Oxford, and the Spadi showed best discriminative accuracy for PASS. All measures estimated changes exceeding the minimal clinical important difference.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe Oxford and the Spadi showed better discriminant ability for PASS than the more commonly used Constant score and the DASH. The PASS thresholds for pain showed that patients accepted less pain at rest than during activity, underlining the importance of assessing both aspects of pain.nnnLEVEL OF EVIDENCEn3. Diagnostic study.

Beneficial and harmful effects of shoulder arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results from a Cochrane review

OBJECTIVEnTo assess beneficial and harmful effects of arthroplasty in the shoulder joint in patients with RA.nnnMETHODSnA systematic review within the framework of the Cochrane Collaboration identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs), controlled clinical trials and case series (included for assessment of complications) published between 1995 and 2008. Articles considered potentially relevant were retrieved in full text and assessed independently by two authors. Risk of bias and level of evidence were assessed according to the established criteria.nnnRESULTSnOne RCT (26 shoulders) compared cemented and uncemented humeral stem fixation during arthroplasty, reporting no significant differences between groups at 2-year follow-up (low-quality evidence). Nineteen case series (1155 shoulders) reported component loosening requiring revision at 5%, infections at 2% and minor complications at 7% (very low-quality evidence). The retrospective case series had several limitations related to methodological quality and standards of reporting.nnnCONCLUSIONnAt present, there is very little research evidence supporting decisions about shoulder joint arthroplasty in patients with RA.