The Effect of Physical Activity on Knee Osteoarthritis, Pain and Gait

NCT07649863 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 356992
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 44
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Knee osteoarthritis, a chronic musculoskeletal disease, is the most prevalent type of osteoarthritis and the leading cause of disability and major healthcare costs worldwide. The pathogenesis of the disease is not fully understood and there are few non-invasive disease-modifying therapies available to patients. Therefore, there is a critical need to enhance therapeutic interventions, which requires improvement of our understanding of knee osteoarthritis pathogenesis. Increasing evidence suggests that physical activity and exercise training are cost-effective and widely available interventions for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, however, consideration of type of physical activity and optimal exercise modality are needed to reduce pain, improve gait, knee joint function, stiffness, and muscle weakness in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. The aim of this pilot clinical trial is to compare individuals with knee osteoarthritis who have not exercised with individuals that have performed retro walking exercise chosen from the systematic review and survey we have conducted previously to reduce pain and improve gait. Non-linear analyses will be performed to determine the effects of exercise intervention on gait biomechanics and stability of movement in these patients. These findings may form a basis for recommendations of exercise/physical activity interventions for the benefits of patients with knee osteoarthritis including pain reduction, mobility improvement and gait modification.

Conditions

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the Knee

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Knee function and associated frequency and severity of pain

  Participants' opinion about their own knee function and associated problems will be assessed through self-administered and validated questionnaire Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). KOOS questionnaire designed to collectively evaluate and measure five outcomes in individuals with knee osteoarthritis including: Pain: Frequency and severity of knee pain. Symptoms: Swelling, grinding, stiffness, and range of motion issues. Activities of Daily Living (ADL): Difficulty with physical tasks like stairs, rising from a seat, or getting in and out of a car. Sports and Recreation Function: The ability to perform higher-level physical activities, such as running, squatting, or playing sports. Quality of Life (QOL): Knee-related lifestyle limitations and personal awareness of the joint.

  Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (14)

• Pain intensity

  Baseline or Day 1 up to 6 weeks

• The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in spatiotemporal parameter walking speed at 6 weeks

  Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks

• The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in spatiotemporal parameter cadence at 6 weeks

  Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks

• The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in spatiotemporal parameter stride/step length at 6 weeks

  Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks

• The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in spatiotemporal parameter swing/stance phases at 6 weeks

  Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in the intervention group will perform treadmill retro walking exercise 3 days/week for 6 weeks.

Other: Retro walking (backwards walking) on a treadmill

Control

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in the control group will maintain their existing level of activity.

Interventions

Retro walking (backwards walking) on a treadmill OTHER

Prior to the intervention participants will be made familiar with retro walking on the treadmill. The exercise will consist of a forward walking for 5min on the treadmill for warm-up followed by retro walking for 10min and a cool-down for 5min. Participants will be instructed to increase their retro walking time up to 30min if the pain sensation continuously was reduced (pain scores \< 3 numerical rating scale). The comfortable speed of the retro walking will be determined by the participant under supervision of the researchers. No slopes or inclination will be used in this study for participant safety. In the warm-up and cool-down sessions participants will be asked to perform muscle stretch, ankle toe movements and heel raise exercises.

Also known as: Exercise

Exercise

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• Male and female
• Any ethnicity
• Adults over 18 years old
• Meet the UK guidelines for physical activity supported by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) and NHS (able to exercise if it is safe with regular breaks)
• Otherwise, adults with clinically diagnosed knee osteoarthritis according to NICE criteria or confirmed by a healthcare professional able and willing to participate and provide written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Any musculoskeletal injury
• Any conditions known to affects gait (e.g. Parkinson's disease or stroke)
• Any surgical intervention in the previous 12 months on lower limbs
• Surgical replacement of hip or knee joints
• BMI (body mass index) over 35
• Athletes or take part in significant recreational activity
• Takes any medication known to affect the gait and ability to walk
• Received an intra-articular injection in the last 3 months
• Have been told by medical professionals that they should not take part in any intensity exercise/physical activity

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Anglia Ruskin University: lead
• Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: collaborator
• Nuffield Health: collaborator

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Osteoarthritis

Interventions

Exercise

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Arthritis; Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Rheumatic Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Central Study Contacts

Hasmik J Samvelyan, PhD

CONTACT

+441245683738; jasmine.samvelyan@aru.ac.uk

Nathan Bytheway, MEng

CONTACT

NB941@pgr.aru.ac.uk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 18, 2026
• First Posted: June 16, 2026
• Study Start: July 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Last Updated: June 16, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03