PATIENTS
The study was carried out at the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Department of Osmangazi University Hospital (Eskisehir, Turkey) between January 2007 and October 2009. Ambulant patients, between the ages of 54 and 70 years, who had idiopathic knee OA according to American College of Rheumatology criteria, were to be recruited to the study. All patients were required to have been symptomatic for at least 3 years and to have Grade II or III bilateral knee OA confirmed radiologically according to the Kellgren–Lawrence grading system.
Exclusion criteria included Kellgren– Lawrence Grade I and IV radiological changes, knee joint disease other than OA, OA of the hip joint, OA involvement of the foot joints, serious concomitant systemic diseases, intra-articular fluid effusion, any contraindication for physical therapy, lower limb arthroplasty, previous physical therapy and intra-articular corticosteroid or hyaluronic acid injections during the last 6 months. None of the patients was to have previously undergone knee surgery. The patients were briefed about the study and written consent was obtained from all patients.