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Correspondence to Alessio Bricca, Aberdeen Health Psychology Group, University of Aberdeen Institute of Applied Health Sciences, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK; [email protected]
Exercise and cartilage health: a common belief and evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in people at risk of, or with knee osteoarthritis (OA)
OA is a leading cause of disability worldwide and associated with pain, impaired mobility and quality of life.1 Physical activity, including therapeutic exercise, patient education and weight control are recommended in key OA treatment guidelines.2 Nevertheless, the belief that therapeutic exercise may harm knee joint cartilage remains common among people with knee OA, and health professionals treating the condition, creating a prevailing barrier to implementing evidence-based care.3–5 The current discord between evidence and persistent beliefs highlights the need for better education. Providing a clear and engaging summary of the evidence to communicate the positive impact of therapeutic exercise and physical activity on the knee joint is crucial to encourage greater acceptance of, and participation in exercise and physical activity to treat knee OA.6 To assist, we summarise in the infographic and this accompanying text and video, two systematic reviews investigating the impact of therapeutic exercise on imaging and molecular biomarkers of articular cartilage, in people at risk of, or with, knee OA.7 8
Impact of therapeutic exercise on MRI-assessed articular cartilage
The first systematic review included nine RCTs including 702 people who performed supervised or unsupervised therapeutic exercise, for 12–48 weeks, 1–5 times a week. The type of exercise used ranged from aquatic therapeutic exercise to...