The Effect of a Functional Task-training Program Combined With Therapeutic Ultrasound on Pain, Strength, Gait Biomechanics and Functionality in Adults With Hip Osteoarthritis

Design

The investigators propose a randomized double blind controlled clinical trial. It would include two comparison groups each with 25 participants with medical diagnosis of hip osteoarthritis classified severity II and III and inclusion criteria of the American College of Rheumatology for the classification and reporting of osteoarthritis of the hip.

All qualified participants will attend a pre-training (baseline) data collection session. During the data collection session, each participant will complete the Western Ontario and MacMaster Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). All participants will perform visual analog scale and six minutes walk test for assessing pain and functionality, respectively. They will be assessed their hip muscle strength using manual muscle dynamometer. Their biomechanics gait will be assessed through using an infrared motion capture system, force platforms and motion analysis software (120 Hz, BTS Smart DX100, Italy). All participants in both groups will be asked not to alter their regular physical activity or pain medications during the 15-sessions training program.

Each participant will be assessed pain, strength, gait biomechanics and functionality before and after 16 sessions of intervention. Pain and functionality will be further evaluated in sessions 5th and 10th. The first group will receive 16 sessions of a functional task training program and therapeutic ultrasound versus the second group who will only receive 16 sessions of the same functional task-training program.

Functional task-training program includes warm up, followed by a functional circuit with muscle strengthening exercises for the major groups of hip oriented to daily life activities and ends with stretching. Therapeutic ultrasound will be applied prior to functional task-training with an intensity of 2.2 W/cm2, frequency of 1 MHz and application time of 4 minutes. Temporal average intensity area corresponds to 0.44 W/cm2, the treatment area will be equal to 2 times the effective radiating area on the anterior, medial and lateral hip area.