Is physical exercise effective in improving pain, functional mobility and quality of life in individuals with hip osteoarthritis? A systematic review with meta-analysis

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of physical exercise and its implications on pain, functional mobility (FM) and quality of life (QoL) in individuals with isolated hip osteoarthritis (HO). Design: Intervention systematic review. Literature search: Pubmed, Embase, CINAHL, CENTRAL (Cochrane) and PEDro were searched for studies evaluating the effect of exercise on pain, FM and QoL in people with HO from the first publication until August 2022. Study selection criteria: Two reviewers independently assessed studies for inclusion and quality of evidence. We included randomized controlled trials on HO where the intervention was physical exercise compared with the control group (exercise different from the intervention or no intervention). Data synthesis: Available data were analyzed using meta-analysis when comparison was possible. Otherwise, the data were synthesized qualitatively. The quality of the evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. Results: Seven trials were identified. Low-quality evidence indicated that there was no significant difference between the mixed exercise versus no intervention groups in the meta-analysis for pain and QoL in short term. Low-quality evidence indicated that low-intensity resistance exercise showed a statistically significant difference when compared to high-intensity resistance exercise in terms of pain, and very low-quality evidence indicated that there was no significant difference regarding functional mobility, both in short term. Conclusion: New clinical trials with methodological rigor should be carried out to investigate the effectiveness of physical exercise in individuals with HO and which is the most effective modality in pain, FM and QoL for future clinical decision-making.