Comparison of the Effects of Different Treatment Modalities in Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis (gonarthrosis) is one of the most common types of osteoarthritis. It is a degenerative joint disorder characterized by pain, muscle weakness, and functional loss. It is more frequently observed in the medial compartment of the knee joint. Additionally, it can cause varus deformity by disrupting the alignment of the knee joint. There have been no studies comparing the effects of conservative treatment approaches such as virtual reality exercises, orthoses, and kinesio taping. Therefore, the aim of this current study is to compare the effectiveness of virtual reality exercises alone and in combination with orthotic approach and kinesio taping in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. The participants included in the study will be randomly divided into three groups. The first group will receive virtual reality exercises, the second group will receive virtual reality exercises along with valgus orthosis, and the third group will receive virtual reality exercises combined with kinesio taping treatment. The interventions will be applied three times a week for eight weeks. Evaluations will be repeated before and after the exercise therapy. The evaluations will include pain assessment using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), muscle strength measured by hand dynamometer, balance assessed by the Berg Balance Scale, proprioception measured by stabilizer and inclinometer, joint range of motion measured by goniometer, functional status evaluated by the WOMAC scale, lower extremity length measured by tape measure, walking speed assessed by the 10-Meter Walk Test (10 MWT), quality of life measured by the SF-36 questionnaire, kinesiophobia evaluated by the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, architectural features of the quadriceps femoris muscle assessed by ultrasound imaging, knee OA score measured by the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and medial compartment distance of the knee calculated and recorded using computer-aided analysis on anteroposterior radiographs.