Comparison of the effects of isokinetic exercise system and home exercise program on balance, gait analysis, pain severity and quality of life in patients with bilateral knee osteoarthritis

Year 2026, Volume: 8 Issue: 2, 210 - 217, 10.03.2026

Melih Kahyaoğlu , Edip Varan , Nilüfer Kutay Ordu Gökkaya , Filiz Eser

https://doi.org/10.38053/acmj.1849097

https://izlik.org/JA89TG99KB

Abstract

Aims: Our aim in this study is to compare the effects of isokinetic exercise system and home based exercise program on balance and gait analysis, pain severity and quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
Methods: A total of 60 patients diagnosed with primary knee OA were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups. The first group received conventional electrotherapy for 10 sessions along with a six-week home-based program consisting of isometric and isotonic strengthening exercises targeting the knee flexor and extensor muscles, performed three times per week. The second group received conventional electrotherapy for 10 sessions combined with a six-week isokinetic strengthening program targeting the knee flexor and extensor muscles, performed three times per week under the supervision of a physiotherapist. At the beginning and end of the treatment, patients were evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), the Short Form-36 (SF-36), the 6-Minute Walk Test (6-MWT), the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and spatiotemporal gait analysis parameters (cadence, swing and stance phase percentages, stride length, step width, step time, and gait speed).
Results: The isokinetic exercise group exhibited statistically significant improvements over the home exercise group in activity VAS scores, the emotional role difficulty and mental health subscales of the SF-36, and the 6-MWT distances (p<0.05). In contrast, the home exercise group demonstrated superior improvement in the physical role difficulty subscale of the SF-36 when compared to the isokinetic exercise group (p<0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in the other evaluated parameters (p>0.05).
Conclusion: In patients with knee osteoarthritis, non-pharmacological treatment modalities that support gait and balance biomechanics have been shown to exert beneficial effects, particularly on pain and functional status; moreover, the isokinetic exercise program was found to be superior to the conventional home exercise program with respect to activity-related VAS scores, mental health parameters, and functional capacity.

Keywords

Balance , exercise , gait analysis , isokinetic , knee osteoarthritis , quality of life

Ethical Statement

This study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee No. 2 of the Ministry of Health Ankara Bilkent City Hospital (approval date: February 16, 2022; decision no: E2-22-1355). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to their inclusion in the study. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Supporting Institution

No supporting institution

Project Number

1

Thanks

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my family for their continuous moral and financial support, and to my wife, Dr. Merve Kahyaoğlu, for her unwavering support and understanding throughout my residency training.

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