Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41819673›Full record

Trial reportBrazilian journal of physical therapy

Does cryotherapy associated with physical exercise add benefits to pain, function and quality of life in knee osteoarthritis? A randomized controlled trial.

Julya Perea, Angelica Viana Ferrari, Hugo Jario Almeida Silva, Ana Elisa Serafim Jorge, Lucas Ogura Dantas, Gabriel Mattos Ferreti, Anderson Aparecido Fogaça, Paula Regina Mendes da Silva Serrão, Francisco Alburquerque-Sendín, Tania de Fatima Salvini

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Brazilian journal of physical therapy. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Julya PereaDepartment of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: julyaperea@estudante.ufscar.br.
Angelica Viana FerrariDepartment of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
Hugo Jario Almeida SilvaDepartment of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
Ana Elisa Serafim JorgeDepartment of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
Lucas Ogura DantasDepartment of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
Gabriel Mattos FerretiDepartment of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
Anderson Aparecido FogaçaDepartment of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
Paula Regina Mendes da Silva SerrãoDepartment of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
Francisco Alburquerque-SendínDepartment of Nursing, Pharmacology and Physical Therapy, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain; Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, Spain.
Tania de Fatima SalviniDepartment of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundExercise is the first-line treatment for knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Cryotherapy is used to control pain and inflammation, but robust evidence on its benefits is lacking.

objectiveAnalyze the additional effects of cryotherapy, when associated with an exercise protocol, on pain, function, and quality of life in people with KOA.

methodsA randomized controlled trial with sham and control groups, concealed allocation, blinded assessors, and intention-to-treat analysis. Individuals (n = 120) aged from 40 to 75, with knee pain ≥ 4 cm on 10 cm visual analog scale, and radiographic diagnosis of grade 2 or 3 (Kellgren and Lawrence) were included and divided into 3 groups (n = 40 per group): Exercise; Exercise + Cryotherapy; Exercise + Sham Cryotherapy Treatment was delivered 3 times per week for 8 weeks (24 sessions). Primary outcome was pain intensity (Visual Analog Scale). Secondary outcomes were physical function [Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC)] and functional tests: 30-second sit-to-stand test, stair climbing test, 40-meter fast walking test, and quality of life [36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36)].

resultsAt post-intervention, for pain at rest, there were no between-group differences: Exercise vs. Exercise + Cryotherapy (mean difference, MD = -0.46 [confidence interval, 95% CI: -1.97, 1.05]), Exercise vs. Exercise + Sham (MD = -1.27 [95% CI: -2.78, 0.23]), Exercise + Cryotherapy vs. Exercise + Sham (MD = -0.82 [95% CI: -2.32, 0.69]). At follow-up period, the results also did not show between-group differences (p > 0.05).

conclusionResults showed the beneficial effects of exercise in the treatment of KOA, without additional effects of cryotherapy.

Indexed as

CryotherapyExerciseExercise TherapyOsteoarthritis, KneePainHumansPain MeasurementQuality of LifeCold therapyKnee jointPain intensityThermotherapy

Identifiers

PMID41819673
PMCPMC12996992

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.