Exercise therapy may postpone total hip replacement surgery in patients with hip osteoarthritis: a long term follow up of a randomized trial.

Svege I. et al. Ann Rheum Dis 2013 Nov 20 (epub ehead of print)

Authors investigated the efficacy of exercise therapy and patient education versus patient education only on the 6 year cumulative survival of the native hip to total hip replacement in 109 patients with symptomatic and radiographic hip osteoarthritis. Both groups were similar at the baseline.

22 patients in the group receiving both, exercise therapy and education and 31 patients in the group receiving only education underwent total hip replacement during the period of the follow up. It corresponded to the 6 year cumulative native hip survival  of 41% (exercise and education) and 25% (education only) respectively.

The conclusion was that the exercise therapy in addition to patient education can reduce the need for total hip replacement by 44% in patients with hip osteoarthritis.

Hennig T. et al. Ann Rheum Dis published on line 25 March 2014

Effect of hand osteoarthritis (OA) information plus home based hand exercises (exercise group) was compared with information only (control group) in women with hand OA.  Exercise group women received 8 calls over 3 months of study. They reported adherence, pain after exercises and adverse effects recorded in diary. 40 women were enrolled in the exercise group and 40 women participated in the control group.  Performance measured after 3 months by the Patient Specific Functional Scale. Hand exercises were well tolerated and improved activity performance, grip strength, pain and fatigue in women with hand OA.