Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39169515›Full record

ArticleKorean journal of family medicine2025

Aquatic versus land-based exercise for knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial.

Maroua Slouma, Maissa Abbes, Lobna Kharrat, Rim Dhahri, Rim Maaoui, Najla Mouhli, Meriem Hfaidh, Sonia Zrida, Imen Ksibi, Hajer Rahali and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Korean journal of family medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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

12 authors.

Maroua SloumaDepartment of Rheumatology, Military Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.
Maissa AbbesUniversity of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
Lobna KharratDepartment of Rheumatology, Military Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.
Rim DhahriDepartment of Rheumatology, Military Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.
Rim MaaouiUniversity of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
Najla MouhliUniversity of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
Meriem HfaidhUniversity of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
Sonia ZridaUniversity of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
Imen KsibiUniversity of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
Hajer RahaliUniversity of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
Bellali HediaUniversity of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
Imen GharsallahDepartment of Rheumatology, Military Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWhether land- or aquatic-based rehabilitation is more effective in improving knee osteoarthritis (OA) is still unclear. This study assessed the effectiveness of aquatic-based treatments in patients with knee OA.

methodsThe participants were divided into a land-based exercise group (G1, n=30) and a water-based exercise group (G2, n=30). The exercises were performed for 8 weeks. The primary endpoint was a response to physical therapy, defined as a 20% decrease in the summed score for the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities-Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain subscale from T1 (before the start of the rehabilitation program) to T2 (8 weeks later). The secondary endpoints included the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, WOMAC functional and stiffness subscales, Lequesne Index, and Medical Outcome Study Short Form (SF-12) for physical and mental health.

resultsA 20% decrease in the summed WOMAC pain subscale score was noted in 33% of patients in G1 (n=10) and 93% in G2 (n=28) (P<0.001). VAS scores at walking decreased by 14% in G1 vs. 37% in G2 (P<0.001), WOMAC stiffness subscale decreased by 18% in G1 vs. 53% in G2 (P<0.001), and the Lequesne index decreased by 10% in G1 vs. 33% in G2 (P<0.001). Quality of life improvement was greater in G2 than in G1; SF-12 (physical) increased by 2.3 in G1 vs. 5.4 in G2 (P=0.023), and SF-12 (mental) increased by 6.3 in G1 vs. 10.9 in G2 (P=0.022).

conclusionBoth aquatic and land-based exercises improved pain intensity, functional impairment, degree of handicap, and quality of life impairment caused by OA. However, the improvement was more significant in the aquatic-based exercises group.

Indexed as

Aquatic ExercisesKneeOsteoarthritisRehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID39169515
PMCPMC12463498

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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 Socratic graph.