Comparison of Telerehabilitation versus Hospital-based Rehabilitation in Delivering Combined Kinetic Chain Exercises in Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women with Knee Joint Osteoarthritis: A Pilot Study

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most frequent musculoskeletal condition affecting middle-aged and geriatric populations. Among all joints, the knee joint has the highest prevalence of OA. Although physiotherapists play a crucial role in the management of Knee OA (KOA), the availability of rehabilitation specialists in remote areas remains inadequate relative to population needs. The use of telecommunications technology to deliver rehabilitation remotely may help address accessibility barriers. Aim: To compare the effectiveness of a Combined Kinetic Chain Exercise (CCE) delivered via telerehabilitation versus in-person physiotherapy sessions. Materials and Methods: This was an assessor-blinded, experimental design conducted at the Department of Physiotherapy, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Bhangagarh, Guwahati, Assam, India between January 2021 and July 2021. It utilised balanced, randomised allocation of 24 patients to two parallel groups: A) retro-walking training combined with conventional CCE via hospital-based rehabilitation (control group); or B) retro-walking training combined with conventional CCE delivered via telerehabilitation (experimental group). The Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) and Lower Extremity Function Scale (LEFS) were used to measure pain, mobility and physical function, respectively. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 21.0 version was used for all statistical analyses. Paired t-test was utilised for within-group analysis and unpaired t-test was used for between-group analyses. Results: After six weeks of treatment, no statistically significant difference was observed between the postintervention outcome measures of Group A and Group B, according to a comparative statistical analysis between the two groups (p-value>0.05). Conclusion: Hence, it can be concluded that no statistically significant difference was observed between hospital-based rehabilitation and telerehabilitation in delivering CCE. Both approaches can be utilised depending on the patient’s accessibility concerns and prevailing circumstances.