The smallest worthwhile effects of strengthening exercise on pain intensity for people with knee osteoarthritis: A benefit-harm trade-off study
Authors' conclusion
To consider strength exercise worthwhile, people with knee osteoarthritis require supervised individual or group exercise to provide a 20% reduction in knee pain, and digitally-delivered exercise to provide a 15% reduction, beyond the pain reduction expected without exercising.
Study context
- Population
- People with knee pain consistent with knee OA
- Participants
- 1,176 people
- Comparison
- Supervised individual, supervised group, or unsupervised digitally-delivered strength exercise vs no exercise
- Outcome
- Smallest worthwhile effect (SWE): smallest pain reduction (%) beyond the 15% with no exercise that would make the allocated strength exercise worthwhile
Methodological detailsonline
- Online
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
SWE, additional knee pain reduction
| Group | Value | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Supervised individual | median 20% (IQR 5–30%) | 15-20 |
| Supervised | median 20% (IQR 5–30%) | 15-20 |
| Unsupervised digital | median 15% (IQR 5–25%) | 10-20 |
Value
Supervised individualmedian 20% (IQR 5–30%)
Supervisedmedian 20% (IQR 5–30%)
Unsupervised digitalmedian 15% (IQR 5–25%)
95% CI
Supervised individual15-20
Supervised15-20
Unsupervised digital10-20
Further findings
SWE by subgroup (sex, pain severity, exercise beliefs and history)
- Smallest worthwhile effects (SWEs) generally larger among males and those not expecting exercise to be helpful
Original publication
The smallest worthwhile effects of strengthening exercise on pain intensity for people with knee osteoarthritis: A benefit-harm trade-off study. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. Published 11 December 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →