Physical Therapy Research Paper

1. The researchers found a significant difference between the two groups (control and treatment) for change in mobility of the women with osteoarthritis (OA) over 12 weeks with the results of F(1, 22) = 9.619, p = 0.005. Discuss each aspect of these results.

The American Physical Therapy Associations (APTA) vision statement sets a standard of quality care that should apply to every health care facility where physical therapy is practiced. In my opinion, when the APTA mentions improving the human experience, it is an attempt to encompass an enhancement in people’s ability to freely participate in the activities of their choice. Ultimately, the decisions that a person choose determines his career growth and relationship between him and the clients (Porter and Teisberg, 2006). From personal experience, losing the ability to take part in these activities can have a detrimental effect on one’s overall quality of life. In March of 2014, I was diagnosed with osteochritis dissecans on my left knee and

Jackson’s knee pain was a result of OA. 44% of the doctors (297) recommended TKR for Mr. Jackson. Participants that completed the racial IAT before making the TKR decision were more likely to recommend this option (50%) as compared to those who did the Racial IAT after making the decision (39%). Results from questioner of TKR recommendation during explicit using a 5-point Likert scale showed a bimodal distribution, highly related with the dichotomous measure (r =0.75;

In addition, regression analysis was used to determine independent variable among age, BMI, grip strength, sex and K/L grade for knee pain. The result indicated that the most significant variable was BMI correlated with the occurrence of knee pain. ORs of BMI (+5 kg/m2) was 1.54 and the risk was 0.60 which was significant. This implied that the ORs of K/L grade for knee pain can be overestimated due to the possibility of extremely low risk of K/L grade. In fact, the percentage of participants who suffered from knee pain with K/L (grade 2) and K/L (grade 3 and 4) was just 61.0% and 71.0% respectively. In other words, it will be about 40% of participants with K/L grade 2 and about a third of subjects with K/L grade 3 and 4 had no pain at the knee joint at follow-up.

1. The researchers found a significant difference between the two groups (control and treatment) for change in mobility of the women with osteoarthritis (OA) over 12 weeks with the results of F(1, 22) = 9.619, p = 0.005. Discuss each aspect of these results.

Osteoarthritis, or degenerative joint disease, is a form of arthritis characterized by the breakdown of cartilage within joints. Cartilage serves to provide cushion at the ends of bones, and when the cushion is not sufficient, as in osteoarthritis, the bones rub together. As a result, osteoarthritis sufferers are constantly plagued by stiff, swollen, and inflamed joints (http://www.arthritis.org/answers/diseasecenter/oa.asp). It is a relatively common condition, with an estimated 20 million American sufferers, most of whom are elderly (http://webmd.lycos.com/content/article/1668.50297). Traditional treatments include Tylenol, aspirin, or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Research into the outcomes for successful ACL construction is necessary to ensure the improvement of the surgery, and thus the quality of the knee.[i] In the past, effectiveness of treatment was documented using empiric evaluation. Due to the discrepancies among existing scales, conclusions were often inaccurate, causing limitations in researchers’ abilities to compare treatment effectively.[ii] In addition, to confirm the most successful outcome of treatment, long term follow up studies are vital to analyze the successfulness. To do so, successive exams of patient progress and accuracy of surgery is important for an allowable duration.[iii] The Activities of Daily Living Scale, ADLS, is a reliable patient reported form that assesses the progress concerning the functional limitations of knee impairments.

Muthuri, S.G., Hui, M., Doherty, M. & Zhang, W. (2011). What if we prevent obesity? Risk reduction in knee osteoarthritis estimated through a meta-analysis of observational studies. Arthritis Care & Research: 63(7), 982–990.

The fifth article critiqued is the first update of a clinical practice guideline (CPG) authored by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS). The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the best available evidence associated with nonsurgical treatment of knee OA. To be included in this study, the subjects must be original research treating knee OA with pain, function, and disability status as the primary outcome measures. Studies were excluded based on design and if they were of very limited strength of evidence. The authors searched the databases PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials. The recommendations in this CPG are based upon the evidence found in these studies. When critiquing the articles, the authors analyzed the quality and applicability of the studies using the Grade Evidence Appraisal System and the PRECIS Instrument. The authors made the following recommendations for braces and insoles.

The continuous aging of the human body combined with the stress of physical activities create a repeated stress on the joints of our bodies that carry the potential risk of developing osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms of arthritis that is the worsening of the joints occurring particularly in the hands, knees, and hip. Osteoarthritis occurs primarily with elderly individuals who have severely worsened their joints leading to disability. When studying joint deterioration “radiographic signs of OA include joint space narrowing, subchondral bone sclerosis, and osteophyte formation” (Bennell, Poquet, Williams, 2016, P. 1689). These signs prove detrimental for some individuals who begin to suffer severe pain leading to the inability of performing simple tasks such as writing and/or walking. Hip disabilities are especially common as a result of osteoarthritis, leaving individuals with several choices of treatment. Whether it’s physical therapy, exercise, or taking medicine, these options might not prove helpful depending on the severity of the hip joint. In this essay, I will be comparing minimally invasive hip replacement to traditional hip replacement to determine why someone need’s a hip replacement procedure, which option more favorable, and the physical therapy following post-replacement.

Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder, and more than half of all Americans who are older than 65 have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis. However, recent US data has revealed knee osteoarthritis does not discriminate age, and there is growing evidence that osteoarthritis affects individuals at a young age. The annual cost of osteoarthritis due to treatment and loss of productivity in the US is estimated to be more than 65 billion dollars.1 With no cure currently available for osteoarthritis, current treatments focus on management of symptoms. The primary goals of therapy include improved joint function, pain relief, and increased joint stability. Although the exact cause of osteoarthritis is unknown, many risk factors have been identified including increased age, female gender, obesity, and trauma.2 Within these risk factors, the etiology of osteoarthritis has been divided into anatomy, body mass, and gender.

According to Goodman and Fuller (2009) Osteoarthritis is divided into 2 classifications: Primary and secondary. Primary OA is a disorder of unknown cause which in the cascade of joint degeneration it is believed to be a related defect in the articular cartilage. Secondary OA has a known cause, which may be trauma, infection, hemarthrosis, osteonecrosis, or some condition Primary Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder in the world and often affects the knee and hip joints (Rubak, Svendsen, Soballe, & Frost, 2013). For patients with primary hip OA, pain and disability are the most important indications for total hip replacement (THR) (Rubake et al., 2013, p.486) Primary symptoms of OA include joint pain, stiffness, and limitation of movement. Disease progression is usually slow but can

decreased in pain during the 50-foot walk test compared to the land-based exercises.7 So the article and the point I’m making is the water-based exercise is a great tool to use for people with osteoarthritis. The conclusion of both studies shows aquatic therapy helps people with osteoarthritis with keeping the patient active, strengthening their joints, pain relief, and helping them to not fatigue as quickly as land exercises or activities would do.

In the United States, arthritis has become the second most common disorder, in the past years. Moreover, the condition affects more than 34 million Caucasians, 4.6 million African-Americans and nearly 3.1 million Hispanics with women being the most affected (Helmick, 2008). 28.3% of people suffering from arthritis are women whereas 18.2% are men (Helmick, 2008). By the year 2030, it is predicted that the number of patients with arthritis will double if prevalence rates remain the same. Apart from being cost-intensive, Osteoarthritis (OA) affects nearly twenty seven million Americans, which effectively limits their work (Reid, Shengelia & Parker, 2012). The statistics show that Caucasians are the most affected and the Hispanics to be the less affected from Caucasians, Hispanics, and African Americans. It also shows how women also have greater possibilities of getting arthritis than man ever did.

DN is a 68 year old Caucasian male who lives in Pomona, Missouri. On September 14, 2009, DN underwent a scheduled left total knee arthroplasty at Baxter County Regional Medical Center. A consultation appointment about a total knee arthroplasty was scheduled when DN had increasing pain in his knees while doing chores and working on his dairy farm. The increasing pain DN was having been due to a history of osteoarthritis and the wear-and-tear on his joints throughout his life, no specific injury was noted. Depending on the outcome of the left knee, DN was consulted on having his right knee done in the future