Effectiveness of an elastic knee sleeve for patients with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized single-blinded controlled trial

Objectives: To study the effectiveness of elastic sleeves in patients with knee osteoarthritis (knee OA). Method: Patients with knee OA attending the outpatient clinic of Siriraj Hospital, who met the eligibility criteria, were randomly allocated to receive an 8-week treatment protocol. The control group received acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and education. The study group received the same treatment, in combination with a daytime elastic knee sleeve. Primary outcome variable included change in aggregated functional performance time (AFPT). Results: In the immediate period after treatment, the study group had a mean improvement in AFPT of 1.63 seconds more than the control group (95% CI: 0.21-3.05, p = 0.025). At the end of the 8^th week, the changes of AFPT were not statistically different between the two groups. Conclusion: This study shows small short-term beneficial effects of an elastic sleeve in patients with knee OA in cases with acute exacerbation.