Exercise Training and Knee Joint Proprioception in Rheumatoid Arthritis

NCT06887725 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2022/140
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 19
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disorder that affects 0.5% to 1% of adults and is the result of an autoimmune attack against joint tissues. In recent years, advances in anti-rheumatoid drugs and treatment strategies have improved the health status of patients with RA. However, many patients do not achieve disease remission and experience progressive functional impairment. According to 2003 data from the National Health Interview Survey in the United States, by 2030, approximately 25% of adults aged 18 years and older are expected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis, and 9.3% of adults are expected to have arthritis-related activity limitations. In order for patients with RA to perform activities of daily living, it is very important for them to maintain their balance, i.e., their sense of proprioception. It is known that knee proprioception is decreased in RA. In addition, the presence of pain, decreased muscle strength, and functionality in patients with RA lead many of them to adopt a sedentary lifestyle. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of exercise training on knee joint proprioception in individuals with RA. In addition, it also aims to examine how exercise training improves pain, functionality, performance, fear of falling, biopsychosocial status, and quality of life. The importance of this research is that it provides more scientific data for improving knee joint proprioception in individuals with RA and guides clinical practice. It is also expected to contribute to the development of a comprehensive approach to improving the quality of life of patients by demonstrating not only the physical but also the psychological and functional effects of exercise training.

Conditions

Rheumatic Arthritis

Keywords

exercise; proprioception; biopsychosocial model; knee; muscle strength

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Cognitive Exercise Therapy Approach (BETY)- Biopsychosocial Questionnaire

  it is a 30-item Likert-type scale developed through repeated statistics of feedback from rheumatic individuals who have participated in exercise sessions for many years, expressing the healing characteristics. It evaluates the individual from a biopsychosocial perspective with the subheadings of pain, functionality-fatigue, mood, sociability, sexuality and sleep. It is scored between 0 and 120. BETY-BQ evaluates the individual from a holistic perspective with six subheadings: pain (5 items), functionality (9 items), mood (10 items), sociability (3 items), sexuality (2 items) and sleep (1 item). A high score indicates a low biopsychosocial status.

  3 mounths

Secondary Outcomes (10)

• Proprioception of the knee joint

  3 mounths

• Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ)

  3 mounths

• Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS)

  3 mounths

• WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index

  3 mounths

• McGill pain scale short form (SF McGill)

  3 mounths

Study Arms (2)

Training Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Other: Exercise

Kontrol Group

NO INTERVENTION

Interventions

Exercise OTHER

The Cognitive Exercise Therapy Approach (Bilişsel Egzersiz Terapi Yaklaşımı-BETY) is an innovative exercise approach developed based on the biopsychosocial model. The parameters that form the basis of BETY are function-oriented core stabilization exercises, information management in pain, information management in mood, and information management in sexuality. BETY was shaped by the feedback of individuals with rheumatism who participated in regular exercise sessions for years and was introduced to the literature as a treatment method aiming to create changes in the cognitive structures of patients through exercise.

Training Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 45 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Being diagnosed with RA
• Being able to walk
• Being between the ages of 40-65.
• Accepting to participate in the study and approving the informed consent form.
• Being literate and able to use technological devices.

You may not qualify if:

• Having acute inflammatory pathology in the knee joint.
• Knee arthroplasty surgery.
• Intra-articular or systemic corticosteroid use in the last 3 months.
• Having participated in an FTR program in the last 3 months.
• Advanced musculoskeletal, cardiac or peripheral vascular disease.
• Significant system or organ failure.
• Having a disease that will affect cognitive functions such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Aysima Barlak: lead
• Hacettepe University: collaborator
• Hasan Kalyoncu University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Hacettepe University

Ankara, Altındağ, 06100, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Akgoz A, Yakut Y, Tufekci O, Aktas BE, Sari EO, Barlak A, Bayramlar K, Apras Bilgen S, Korkusuz F, Unal E. Biopsychosocial model-based exercise improves muscle strength, proprioception, pain, function, and quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis patients with knee involvement: a randomized controlled clinical tiral. Rheumatol Int. 2025 Sep 6;45(9):221. doi: 10.1007/s00296-025-05976-3. No abstract available.

  PMID: 40913677 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Rheumatic Fever; Motor Activity

Interventions

Exercise

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Streptococcal Infections; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Bacterial Infections; Bacterial Infections and Mycoses; Infections; Arthritis; Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Rheumatic Diseases; Connective Tissue Diseases; Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: PT

Model Details: randomized controlled trial

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 16, 2025
• First Posted: March 20, 2025
• Study Start: January 2, 2022
• Primary Completion: December 20, 2024
• Study Completion: December 24, 2024
• Last Updated: March 20, 2025

Record last verified: 2022-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)