Capsular stretching as physiotherapy technique for Sudanese patients with knee osteoarthritis in Al-Neelain University Physiotherapy Outpatient Clinic

Background. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic articular disorder of multifactorial etiology. Its pathogenesis contributes to the degradation of articular cartilage, periarticular bone remodeling, and capsular fibrosis. It is conventionally treated by a combination of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic modalities and surgical interventions. Physiotherapy is considered a first- and second-line treatment. Recent developments in manual therapy have shown very promising improvements in pain and physical function. Purpose of the study. To explore the prevalence of knee osteoarthritis patients in Al-Neelain University Faculty of Physiotherapy Outpatient Clinic. Materials and methods. It’s a single-blinded randomized controlled trial conducted in the outpatient clinic of the Faculty of Physiotherapy at Al-Neelain University. Thirty patients were recruited for the study and divided randomly into two groups; 15 (experimental), known as group A, received capsular stretching technique & 15 (control), known as group B, received no treatment. Both groups were assessed at the baseline and after two weeks for ROM by electro-goniometer, and functional performance by WOMAC scale. Data was analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results. The group A that received capsular stretching showed statistically significant improvement in knee ROM (both flexion & extension; active & passive) compared with no treatment. Regarding functional performance; WOMAC scores showed a highly statistically significant difference between comparative groups with P value = 0.00003 in Group A and = 0.28 in Group B. Conclusion. The study concluded that the capsular stretching technique is effective in treating & improving patients with knee OA in pain, ROM, and functional performance.