Abstract : ABSTRACT Study Design: A Randomized Controlled Study Background and Objectives: Quadriceps, hamstrings and hip muscles are significantly impaired in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The hemibridge with ball and balloon exercise provides an optimal zone of apposition (ZOA) of the diaphragm that may help to address trunk instability and also strengthening of hamstrings and hip muscles. The present study intends to evaluate the effects of hemibridge with ball and balloon exercise as an adjunct to conventional therapy in knee osteoarthritis patients. Methods: Twenty patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups (Experimental and control). The experimental group along with conventional therapy received hemibridge with ball and balloon exercise while the control group just received the conventional therapy for 10 sessions over 10 days. Results: The difference between pre and post of VAS in both the groups was statistically highly significant (p=0.0001) but clinically more percent of change was seen in experimental group. The p value of Lequesne index for knee OA by paired t test was statistically highly significant with p value of 0.0001. Conclusion: Patients in the experimental group who received an additional hemibridge with ball and balloon exercise had superior outcome measures to those in the control group who just received conventional therapy.

Keyword : KEY WORDS: hemibridge, Lequesne, ball, balloon