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.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
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.
Robert H.N. Ho Research Centre
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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.
Time frame: 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
Time frame: Baseline, 4 weeks, 4 months
Numerical pain rating scale for pain during running change
Validated scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain), in which participants rate their worst level of pain during running over the previous week.
Time frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months
Step rate change
Number of steps taken during one minute of running.
Time frame: Baseline, 4 weeks, 4 months
Peak knee flexion moment impulse change
Validated surrogate measure of knee joint loading during running. Expressed as Nm/kg\*sec
Time frame: Baseline, 4 weeks, 4 months
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