Jump to Content


|link to: Home Page
|link to: Recent Publications
|link to: Juvenile Arthritis
|link to: Multiple Sclerosis
|link to: Osteoarthritis
|link to: Aging
|link to: Contact Information

off-site link: National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research

off-site link: Information About Buffalo

This page is Bobby Approved




Rehabilitation Physiology Lab


Graham J, N Fisher. Effects of Resistance Training on Muscle Function in Individuals with Knee Osteoarthritis. Arthritis & Rheumatism 48(9) suppl: S445, 2003.

Purpose: Understanding the relationship between resistance exercise training and function is important for developing effective rehabilitation programs for knee osteoarthritis (OA). The purpose of the study was to examine differences in knee flexor and extensor muscle function (strength, endurance and electromyographic (EMG) activity) in individuals with OA of the knee compared to an age-matched well elderly (WE) group before and after 8 weeks of quantitative progressive resistance exercise.
Methods: A sample of convenience was recruited for this quasi-experimental pretest / posttest design. Thirty-three individuals with knee OA (12 men, 21women) and 55 without OA (27 men, 28 women) participated in this study. Mean ages were 71.6+5.8 and 71.3+2.3 yrs, respectively. Pain and difficulty performing daily activities, quadriceps and hamstrings function, and 50-foot walk time were assessed. Strength testing involved maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) using a strain gauge. Endurance was calculated from a sustained (90sec) MVIC. Activation of the rectus femoris was assessed using surface EMG. Training consisted of isometric, isotonic, endurance, and speed contractions performed 3 days per week for 8 weeks. Exercise progression was based on each participant's initial quantitative muscle function assessment. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and analyses of variance (p<0.05) were used to analyze the data.
Results: Walking time, hamstring strength (26 and 15%) and endurance (44 and 17%), and quadriceps strength (13 and 16%) and endurance (18 and 17%) after the 8 weeks of resistance training significantly increased for the OA and WE groups, respectively. The OA group had significantly lower strength than the WE group before and after training. EMG activity for the quadriceps strength and endurance contractions was significantly higher for the OA group initially and generally did not change with training. The WE group showed a significant increase in EMG activity during strength contractions and a decrease during endurance contractions. Pain was significantly reduced after training in the OA group, while difficulty with everyday activities was reduced in the WE group.
Conclusion: Functional performance and muscle function were reduced in OA compared to WE individuals. Both groups significantly improved after 8 weeks of specific quantitative progressive resistance exercise rehabilitation. While parallel trends were observed between force and integrated EMG (iEMG) in the WE group, this pattern was not observed in the OA group. This mismatch in force:iEMG ratio requires further consideration.

 

OTHER ABSTRACTS

Fisher NM. Effects of Three Exercise Rehabilitation Programs on the Relationship between Muscular Strength and Efficiency in Knee Osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheum 52(9)Suppl:S434, 2005.

Fisher NM, DM Dolan, C Brenner, DR Pendergast. Quantitative Effects of a Water Exercise Program on Functional and Physiological Capacity in Subjects with Osteoarthritis: a Pilot Study. Sport Sciences for Health 1(1):17-24, 2004

Fisher NM and DR Pendergast. Reduced Muscle Function in Patients with Osteoarthritis . Scand J Rehab Med 29:213-221, 1997.

Fisher NM, SC White, HJ Yack, RJ Smolinski and DR Pendergast. Muscle Function and Gait in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis before and after Muscle Rehabilitation. Disability Rehabil 19(2):47-55, 1997.

Fisher NM and DR Pendergast. Application of Quantitative and Progressive Exercise Rehabilitation to Patients with Osteoarthritis of the Knee . Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation 5:33-53, 1995.

Fisher NM and DR Pendergast. Effects of a Muscle Exercise Program on Exercise Capacity in Subjects with Osteoarthritis . Arch Phys Med Rehabil 75(7):792-797, 1994.

Fisher NM, VD Kame, L Rouse and DR Pendergast. Quantitative Evaluation of a Home Exercise Program on Muscle and Functional Capacity of Patients with Osteoarthritis. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 73:413-420, 1994.

Fisher NM, GE Gresham and DR Pendergast. Quantitative Progressive Exercise Rehabilitation (QPER) for Osteoarthritis of the Knee . Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America 5(4):785-802, 1994.

Leddy JJ, NM Fisher, RJ Smolinski, YK Barodawala, P Pandya and DR Pendergast. Effects of Exercise Rehabilitation on Muscle Function, Activity and Joint Spaces in Patients with Osteoarthritis. Med Sci Sports Exerc 26(suppl):S142, 1994.

Fisher NM, GE Gresham and DR Pendergast. Effects of a quantitative progressive rehabilitation program applied unilaterally to the osteoarthritic knee. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 74(12):1319-1326, 1993.

Fisher NM, GE Gresham, M Abrams, J Hicks, D Horrigan and DR Pendergast. Quantitative effects of physical therapy on muscular and functional performance in subjects with osteoarthritis of the knees . Arch Phys Med Rehabil 74(8):840-847, 1993.

Fisher NM, SC White, JH Yack, RJ Smolinski and DR Pendergast. Muscle Function and Gait in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis before and after Muscle Rehabilitation. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 73(10):972, 1992.

Fisher NM, DR Pendergast, GE Gresham and E Calkins. Muscle rehabilitation: its effect on muscular and functional performance of patients with knee osteoarthritis . Arch Phys Med Rehabil 72(6):367-374, 1991.

Pendergast DR, VD Kame Jr, L Rouse and NM Fisher. Quantitative Evaluation of a Physical Therapy Supervised Home Exercise Program on Muscle and Functional Capacity of Patients with Osteoarthritis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 72:792, 1991.

Fisher NM, VD Kame Jr and DR Pendergast. Effects of Muscle Rehabilitation on Cardiovascular Fitness in Patients with Osteoarthritis. Gerontologist 31(Special Issue II):9, 1991.

Fisher NM, DR Pendergast and GE Gresham. Reduced Muscle and Functional Performance in Patients with Osteoarthritis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 71:783, 1990.

Fisher NM, DR Pendergast and GE Gresham. Progressive Quantitative Rehabilitation of Patients with Osteoarthritis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 71:762, 1990.

Gresham GE, NM Fisher, DR Pendergast and E Calkins. Quantitative Quadriceps Strengthening in Osteoarthritis of the Knees. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 69:725, 1988.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© Copyright 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Rehabilitation Physiology Lab
School of Public Health and Health Professions