Gait Retraining for Runners With Knee Osteoarthritis

NCT03314428 | Withdrawn

• 1 other identifier: H17-01228
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: N/A
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Tibiofemoral osteoarthritis (TFOA) is highly prevalent in older adults, and often causes symptoms and functional limitations. Physical activity is widely advocated in people with TFOA, and running is an easy and accessible activity that provides many benefits on general health. However, running induces high knee loads, which could potentially contribute to symptoms of runners with TFOA. Previous studies have suggested that running gait modifications can help in decreasing symptoms and knee loading in runners with knee conditions. Yet, no study has been conducted in runners with TFOA. This intervention study will investigate the effects of a 4-week running gait retraining program on symptoms and running biomechanics in runners with TFOA. We hypothesize that running modifications will decrease symptoms, improve function and reduce knee loading.

Conditions

Osteoarthritis, Knee

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) change

  Validated questionnaire on symptoms and functional limitations related to knee osteoarthritis. The score is expressed in percentage (0-100), with 0 representing extreme knee problems and 100 representing no knee problems.

  Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months

• Peak knee adduction moment impulse change

  Validated surrogate measure of knee joint loading during movement. Expressed as Nm/kg\*sec

  Baseline, 4 weeks, 4 months

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Numerical pain rating scale for pain during running change

  Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months

• Step rate change

  Baseline, 4 weeks, 4 months

• Peak knee flexion moment impulse change

  Baseline, 4 weeks, 4 months

Other Outcomes (3)

• Compliance with gait retraining change

  During Week 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the retraining program

• Numeric pain rating scale for usual pain change

  Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months

• Numeric pain rating scale for worst pain change

  Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months

Study Arms (1)

Gait retraining

EXPERIMENTAL

Runners will be taught how to modify their running gait through multiple laboratory sessions and in-field training.

Behavioral: Gait retraining

Interventions

Gait retraining BEHAVIORAL

Over a 4-week period, runners will be asked to increase their step rate to reduce knee loading during running. Specifically, they will have to increase their preferred step rate by 10% during weekly laboratory running sessions as well as during habitual running training. In the laboratory, runners will be provided with live visual/auditory biofeedback on step rate and asked to target a specific value representing 110% or preferred step rate. During their individual running sessions, runners will be wearing a GPS-enabled watch that will provide feedback on live step rate, and they will be asked to maintain the same value as in the laboratory.

Gait retraining

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 40 Years+
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• TFOA of Grade 2 (mild) or 3 (moderate) on the Kellgren and Lawrence scale
• report knee pain greater than or equal to 3/10 on a numerical pain rating scale (0-10) during most days of the previous month
• run at least 10 km per week for a minimum of 6 months
• declare being comfortable running on a treadmill for at least 30 minutes

You may not qualify if:

• history of traumatic knee injury
• neurological or inflammatory arthritic condition
• cardiovascular or cardiopulmonary disease preventing from safely performing moderate intensity running
• presence of any lower limb condition affecting running (other than TFOA)
• use of any oral or injected corticosteroids or viscosupplementation in the previous six months
• regular use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics or knee unloading bracing devices before, during or after running
• non-English speaking

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of British Columbia: lead

Study Sites (1)

Robert H.N. Ho Research Centre

Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 1M9, Canada

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Osteoarthritis, Knee

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Osteoarthritis; Arthritis; Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Rheumatic Diseases

Study Officials

• Michael A Hunt, PT, PhD

  University of British Columbia

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: Data will be analyzed by an assessor blinded to date of data collection for each testing session. Following data collection, a researcher not involved with data collection or analysis will re-code data timepoints to ensure that the assessor is unaware of the timepoint each datapoint was obtained.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Model Details: Single Group cohort study

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 13, 2017
• First Posted: October 19, 2017
• Study Start: July 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Last Updated: March 6, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Locations

CA (1)