Background: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the leading causes of disability in older adults. As definitive treatment often involves knee replacement surgery, effective non-invasive approaches capable of alleviating symptoms and preserving mobility are needed to delay surgical intervention or bridge waiting periods for surgery. Methods: Thirty-two patients with knee OA were included in this pilot comparative study. Patients underwent either a standardized physical therapy program (10 sessions) or the same program supplemented with vacuum-compression therapy (VCT), according to treatment received during routine clinical care. Outcome measures included the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and the Physical and Mental Component Summary scores of the SF-12 questionnaire (PCS, MCS). Assessments were performed at baseline and at 1-month follow-up, with WOMAC additionally evaluated immediately after treatment. Responder analysis based on minimal clinically important difference (MCID) thresholds was also performed. Results: Both groups demonstrated significant improvement across most outcomes. Between-group analysis showed greater improvements in the intervention group, with statistically significant differences observed for functional outcomes (WOMAC and PCS). Conclusions: In this pilot comparative study, the addition of VCT to standard physical therapy was associated with greater functional improvement in patients with knee OA.
Tache-Codreanu et al. (Sat,) studied this question.