Abstract
Purpose: To see if the symptoms of mild to moderate degenerative knee osteoarthrosis are improved clinically by magnetic resonance therapy (MRT).
Method: This a double blind randamised control mono-centric study involving 100 volunteer patients recruited form the outpatient clinics who met the set inclusion and exclusion criteria of mild to moderate Osteoarthrosis of the knee joint. AD Elektronik GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany supplied the devices for giving MRT, which involved five sessions of one hour each on five consecutive days. These devices work with a coded chip card and only half of the 100 cards were coded to provide MRT. Base line assessment and follow up at 1 week, 1 month, 3 month and 6 months included clinical examination and Oxford and WOMAC Knee scores. Radiological assessment included baseline plain radiographs of the knee joint in standing position (AP and Lateral views) and positional MRI scan. At three months MRI scan was repeated. Data was analysed using SPSS 16.0 software and Mann-Whitney and Chi–square Tests were used.
Results: No adverse effects were reported during the study. The treatment and the placebo groups were comparable except that the male: female ratio was 1: 2. Placebo group had statistically significant improvement in the WOMAC Pain OA index at 3 months (p=0.017). There was statistically significant improvement in the range of movements at 6 months (p=0.010), but this was clinically not significant as the mean increase in Range of Movement was 4°. At the end of 6 months there was not difference between the two groups.
Conclusion: This study has found that five 1 hour sessions of MRT is a safe mode of treatment, but fails to support that it has a beneficial effect on Knee Joint Osteoathrosis.
Correspondence should be addressed to: BASK c/o BOA, at the Royal College of Surgeons, 35–43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3PE, England.
