Knowledge, attitude and utilisation of evidence-based therapeutic exercises in knee osteoarthritis management in Nigeria

Background: In Nigeria, there is a disparity among physiotherapists regarding therapeutic exercise as a core treatment for patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). The attitudes and beliefs of physiotherapists could influence this.Objective: To investigate Nigerian physiotherapists’ knowledge, attitude, and utilisation of evidence-based therapeutic exercisesDesign: A mixed-method of cross-sectional survey and focus group discussion.Setting: Secondary and tertiary health institutions in NigeriaParticipants: Physiotherapists consecutively sampled from the selected institutions.Main outcome measures: Participants’ knowledge, attitude and utilisation of evidence-based therapeutic exercises for the management of knee OAResults: This study revealed that 81% of physiotherapists in Nigeria had a fair knowledge of evidence-based practice and the efficacy of therapeutic exercises in managing knee OA. Despite this fair knowledge, 95.3% had a poor attitude. The important emerging categories/themes are treatment preference, clinical experience, and strength of evidence.Conclusion: Physiotherapists in Nigeria have a fair knowledge of evidence-based therapeutic exercises in managing patients with knee OA, although there is a poor attitude and disparity between the use and current recommendations.