Effect of game based exercise programs on pain, functional mobility and balance in patients with knee osteoarthritis: Randomized controlled study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of virtual reality games on knee pain, functional mobility and balance in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Fifty patients who were complaining of knee pain, aged 40–70 years, and were diagnosed with Kellgren-Lawrence stage 2, 3, 4 idiopathic knee osteoarthritis were included. Patients were randomly assigned to two equal groups (n = 25) as the control and the study group. Age, sex, weight, height, duration of illness was recorded for all patients. In the bilateral two-way knee radiography; Kellgren-Lawrence score of the knee with the higher visual analog scale (VAS) pain score was recorded. Conventional physical therapy program, associated with knee osteoarthritis exercises, was applied routinely to all patients with knee osteoarthritis for three weeks. In the study group, all patients received virtual reality game-based exercise program by using a game console. In both groups, baseline and final values of VAS score, osteoarthritis index total score (WOMAC), and intra-community balance and mobility scale (CB&M) score of each patient were recorded. Mann-Whitney U and Independent Samples T tests were used for statistical analysis, and P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. In both groups, significant change in VAS, WOMAC osteoarthritis index, and CB&M score was observed (P < 0.05). In the study group, VAS, WOMAC osteoarthritis index, and CB&M scores were significantly different than control group (P < 0.05). The differences between baseline and final scores of VAS and WOMAC were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in study group. The results of the present study showed that virtual reality game-based exercise programs performed better results than conventional treatment program in patients with knee osteoarthritis.