What is the evidence for shortwave diathermy in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee?
AMSTAR Rating
Summary
Patient Population:
Mean age was reported as 62.5 years (±5.07). All participants (less one – due to changes noted on radiological exam) had a confirmed diagnosis of knee OA (n=593). 527 participants were female.
Intervention:
Short-wave diathermy (SWD) (either continuous or pulsed). Dosage varied between studies. Only one study reported using a continuous mode – and in one study mode was not reported. The remaining studies used pulsed SWD (PSWD). Treatment duration: 15 – 38 min per session. Total treatments ranged from 6 (over 2 week period) to 24 (over an 8 week period).
Comparison:
Comparison groups: SWD placebo or no SWD. There were 7 studies identified for inclusion in the present review. Mean PEDro score was 7.28 (± 1.38). Two studies were classified as excellent and the remainder as good. The items most often missed was “blinded therapist”, and “intention to treat analysis”.
Outcome:
- Pain: shortwave diathermy vs. placebo (6 studies) – non-significant difference in favour of shortwave diathermy (ES=-0.41; 95% CI -0.857 to 0.30).
- Pain: shortwave diathermy (employing a thermal effect) vs. placebo – significant difference in favour of shortwave diathermy (ES=-0.33; 95% CI -0.643 to -0.026).
- Function: no significant difference was found.
