Effects of Hilterapia® vs. Viscosupplementation in knee osteoarthritis patients a randomized controlled clinical trial

T. Viliani, E. Ricci, G. Mangone, C. Graziani, P. Pasquetti
Energy for Health [03], 2009

Therapeutic approach in Knee Osteoarthritis (KO), a long lasting disease with both epidemiological and social implications, may consider local interventions which are useful along the course of the pathology. Viscosupplementation has got efficacy with little side effects. Lasertherapy (Low Level Laser Therapy-LLLT-) is widely used but we don't still have sure demonstrations on its efficacy. High Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT, Hilterapia^®) seems to be more effective than LLLT, due to its higher intensity and to the depth reached by the laser ray. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of Hilterapia® to viscosupplementation in patients with symptomatic KO. 41 out-patients with symptomatic KO (II-III Kellgren-Lowrence Scale stage) were enrolled and evaluated by WOMAC and Lequesne Scales, before treatment (t0), after treatment (t1) and after 4 months (t2). After randomization, the treatment consisted in viscosupplementation (4 Hyaluronic acid infiltrations 1/week) for Group A, or Hilterapiae‘ (antalgic treatment, 10 sessions, three time a week) for Group B. Both the groups (A and B) showed a highly statistically significant improvement between t0 and t1 in WOMAC and Lequesne Scales. The improvement was maintained at follow-up (t2) either by Group A or Group B. No side effect was found, neither in Group A nor in Group B. Hilterapia^® showed analogous results to viscosupplementation. We conclude that Hilterapia^® seems a good medical instrument for pain control and for improvement of patient's quality of life.