Hsieh RL et al. – Short–term 890–nm radiation therapy for patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) provided no beneficial effect in improving pain, physical activity, and postural stability.

• Participants were assessed weekly over 4 weeks using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) for pain, stiffness, and physical function. Physical activity (timed stair climbing, 10–m fast–speed walking, and chair–rising time) and postural stability (using the postural stability evaluation system) were also assessed.
• The pain score on WOMAC was the primary outcome variable.
• Data were analyzed by repeated–measures analysis of covariance.

• Compared with baseline, no significant improvement was observed between groups for pain (P=.546), stiffness (P=.573), or physical function (P=.904).
• No significant improvement was noted for physical activity including the 10–m fast–speed walking time (P=.284), stair–climbing time (P=.202), stair–descending time (P=.468), chair–rising time (P=.499), or postural stability (P=.986) at the 4 follow–up assessments.
• Follow–up assessments were conducted after 1 week of treatment (thus, after 3 treatments); after 2 weeks of treatment (thus, after 6 treatments); and 1 and 2 weeks, respectively, after treatment was terminated.
• Although the authors found a significant time effect for the 10–m fast–speed walking time (P<.001) in the 2 groups, and a significant group effect in the improvement of stair–climbing time in the treatment group (P=.032), the group × time interaction effects were not significant.