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Rehabilitation Physiology Lab


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.

Degenerative joint disease, or osteoarthritis (OA), is one of the most common chronic conditions in the aging population. OA of the knees is particularly disabling as the knee joint is crucial to maintaining independent functional activity. One study has shown that in 1000 subjects between the ages of 63 and 94 years, the prevalence of radiographically documented knee OA was 34% and 31% for men and women, respectively, with the prevalence of symptomatic disease at 11% (men) and 7% (women).

Currently no quantitative data are available to suggest that the treatment alternatives currently employed for knee OA either retard or delay the osteoarthritic process. Therefore, we have focused our efforts on the musculature that supports the knee joints, namely the quadriceps and hamstring muscle groups.

The decline in physiological muscle function with normal aging has been well documented.17 Various types of exercise programs, mostly aerobic, have been prescribed for elderly subjects.1,3,5,36 Many studies have evaluated strength training programs in the elderly population and found that aged muscle can be trained in a way similar to young muscle.2,9,14,18,21,23,24,33,39,40 Individuals with OA of the knees have a decline in muscle function with aging that is much more pronounced and is associated with symptoms such as knee pain and swelling.4,10,11

 

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

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

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.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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