Enhancing the Effectiveness of Physical Therapy for People With Knee Osteoarthritis

NCT ID: NCT01314183

Last Updated: 2015-06-23

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE2/PHASE3
• Total Enrollment: 300 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2011-04-30
• Study Completion Date: 2015-04-30

Brief Summary

The overall aim of the project is to examine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of utilizing booster sessions(periodic face-to-face follow-up appointments that take place several weeks or months following discharge from the supervised therapy program designed to review the patient's current rehabilitation program, troubleshoot any problems with the program, and make recommendations for program progression or modification) in the delivery of exercise therapy, and supplementing exercise therapy with manual therapy techniques(manually applied treatment techniques such as joint mobilization/manipulation, manual traction, soft tissue manipulations, passive stretching and range of motion). The investigators will do this in a randomized, multi-center, clinical trial. The investigators hypothesize that adding manual therapy techniques will be more clinically effective than exercise alone and that using booster sessions will maintain longer term clinical effects and be more cost-effective than not using booster sessions.

Detailed Description

Exercise therapy (ET) is effective as the first line of treatment for reducing pain and disability in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), but studies show its effects diminish considerably over time. 'Booster' intervention sessions (periodic face-to-face follow-up appointments following discharge from supervised therapy designed to review and progress the patient's home program, troubleshoot problems with the program, etc.) have been recommended to make beneficial effects endure however this recommendation has not been adequately tested. There are also indications that manual therapy (MT), manually applied treatment techniques such as joint mobilization/manipulation, manual traction, soft tissue manipulations, and passive stretching, when combined with ET, may improve the overall effectiveness of rehabilitation for reducing pain and disability, and, may significantly delay or reduce the need for total knee arthroplastic surgery and reduce medication intake in people with knee OA. However, current published evidence-based treatment guidelines indicate there is not enough data to make a definitive recommendation regarding the use of MT with ET in rehabilitation programs. Therefore, the overall aim of the project is to examine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of utilizing booster sessions in the delivery of ET, and supplementing ET with MT techniques.The study will be a multi-center,randomized clinical trial, using a 2 x 2 factorial design (factor 1 = booster vs no booster, factor 2 = ET alone vs ET + MT). Three hundred subjects (100 per study site) with knee OA will be randomized to one of the following groups: 1) ET - no booster, 2) ET - with booster, 3) MT + ET - no booster sessions, 4) MT + ET - with booster sessions. Clinical outcome measures (WOMAC, knee pain, global rating of change and performance-based measures of function) will be taken at baseline (prior to randomization), at the completion of the initial therapy sessions (9 weeks) and at 1 year follow-up. The primary endpoint for clinical outcome will be the WOMAC at 1 year.For the cost effectiveness analysis, the primary cost outcome will be osteoarthritis treatment costs from the societal perspective, which will include health system costs for implementing each intervention, medical/surgical costs (primary, secondary, and tertiary care costs), and personal costs to participants (travel, non-funded medications, time off work, and quality-of-life burdens). The primary effectiveness outcome measure will be quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), derived using quality of life utilities from EQ-5D scores. Cost and effectiveness values between interventions will be compared via incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, yielding incremental costs per QALY gained when a given intervention is chosen. Secondary analyses will examine cost-effectiveness from health system and from patient perspectives. Cost and effectiveness data will be obtained at 1 year and 2 year follow-ups. The 2 year follow-up will be the primary endpoint for the cost-effectiveness analysis.

Conditions

Osteoarthritis

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

exercise

Subjects in this arm receive 12 exercise sessions in 9 weeks.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Exercise

Intervention Type: OTHER

The program starts with a 10 minute aerobic exercise warm-up (treadmill walking or stationary cycling). Subjects then perform a series of strengthening, stretching, and neuromuscular control activities which are core exercises for the program and mandatory. In addition to the above core exercises, therapists have the option to select additional optional exercise activities, based on the initial examination findings. These exercises will address strength or flexibility in the hip, and ankle if impairments are identified in the initial examination.

exercise + manual therapy

Subjects in this group receive exercise combined with manual therapy techniques for 12 sessions in 9 weeks.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Exercise

Intervention Type: OTHER

The program starts with a 10 minute aerobic exercise warm-up (treadmill walking or stationary cycling). Subjects then perform a series of strengthening, stretching, and neuromuscular control activities which are core exercises for the program and mandatory. In addition to the above core exercises, therapists have the option to select additional optional exercise activities, based on the initial examination findings. These exercises will address strength or flexibility in the hip, and ankle if impairments are identified in the initial examination.

manual therapy

Intervention Type: OTHER

The manual therapy (MT)techniques are maneuvers that are applied with manual force from the treating therapist. The MT techniques will include a series of accessory motion techniques, manual stretching , and soft tissue manipulation (deep massage to muscles and connective tissues associated with knee function). Core techniques include anterior-posterior and posterior-anterior tibiofemoral translations, superior-inferior and medial-lateral patellofemoral mobilizations, knee flexion and extension mobilizations that may be combined with varus-valgus stresses,medial-lateral tibial rotations, manual stretching of the quadriceps, rectus femoris, hamstring, and gastrocnemius muscles, and soft tissue manipulations of the quadriceps, peri-patellar tissues, hamstring, hip adductors, and gastroc-soleus muscle groups. There are optional MT techniques for the hip, and foot and ankle joints that can be selected by the therapist based on initial examination findings.

exercise + booster

subjects in this arm will receive exercise sessions delivered with booster sessions (8 sessions in the first 9 weeks, 2 sessions at 5 months, 1 session at 8 months, and 1 session at 11 months).

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Exercise

Intervention Type: OTHER

The program starts with a 10 minute aerobic exercise warm-up (treadmill walking or stationary cycling). Subjects then perform a series of strengthening, stretching, and neuromuscular control activities which are core exercises for the program and mandatory. In addition to the above core exercises, therapists have the option to select additional optional exercise activities, based on the initial examination findings. These exercises will address strength or flexibility in the hip, and ankle if impairments are identified in the initial examination.

exercise + manual therapy + booster

Subjects in this arm will receive exercise combined with manual therapy techniques and booster sessions.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Exercise

Intervention Type: OTHER

The program starts with a 10 minute aerobic exercise warm-up (treadmill walking or stationary cycling). Subjects then perform a series of strengthening, stretching, and neuromuscular control activities which are core exercises for the program and mandatory. In addition to the above core exercises, therapists have the option to select additional optional exercise activities, based on the initial examination findings. These exercises will address strength or flexibility in the hip, and ankle if impairments are identified in the initial examination.

manual therapy

Intervention Type: OTHER

The manual therapy (MT)techniques are maneuvers that are applied with manual force from the treating therapist. The MT techniques will include a series of accessory motion techniques, manual stretching , and soft tissue manipulation (deep massage to muscles and connective tissues associated with knee function). Core techniques include anterior-posterior and posterior-anterior tibiofemoral translations, superior-inferior and medial-lateral patellofemoral mobilizations, knee flexion and extension mobilizations that may be combined with varus-valgus stresses,medial-lateral tibial rotations, manual stretching of the quadriceps, rectus femoris, hamstring, and gastrocnemius muscles, and soft tissue manipulations of the quadriceps, peri-patellar tissues, hamstring, hip adductors, and gastroc-soleus muscle groups. There are optional MT techniques for the hip, and foot and ankle joints that can be selected by the therapist based on initial examination findings.

Interventions

Exercise

The program starts with a 10 minute aerobic exercise warm-up (treadmill walking or stationary cycling). Subjects then perform a series of strengthening, stretching, and neuromuscular control activities which are core exercises for the program and mandatory. In addition to the above core exercises, therapists have the option to select additional optional exercise activities, based on the initial examination findings. These exercises will address strength or flexibility in the hip, and ankle if impairments are identified in the initial examination.

Intervention Type: OTHER

manual therapy

The manual therapy (MT)techniques are maneuvers that are applied with manual force from the treating therapist. The MT techniques will include a series of accessory motion techniques, manual stretching , and soft tissue manipulation (deep massage to muscles and connective tissues associated with knee function). Core techniques include anterior-posterior and posterior-anterior tibiofemoral translations, superior-inferior and medial-lateral patellofemoral mobilizations, knee flexion and extension mobilizations that may be combined with varus-valgus stresses,medial-lateral tibial rotations, manual stretching of the quadriceps, rectus femoris, hamstring, and gastrocnemius muscles, and soft tissue manipulations of the quadriceps, peri-patellar tissues, hamstring, hip adductors, and gastroc-soleus muscle groups. There are optional MT techniques for the hip, and foot and ankle joints that can be selected by the therapist based on initial examination findings.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• 40 years of age or older
• Meet the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) clinical criteria for a diagnosis of knee OA. The ACR clinical criteria for knee OA includes knee pain plus 3 of the following 6 criteria:
• age > 50 years,
• morning stiffness of < 30 minutes,
• crepitus on active movement,
• tenderness of the bony margins of the joint,
• bony enlargement of the joint noted on exam,
• lack of palpable warmth of the synovium. Based on this criteria, a subject who is less than 50 years but has knee pain and 3 of the other 5 criteria would also be classified as having knee OA.

Exclusion Criteria

• do not meet the ACR clinical criteria for knee OA,
• are scheduled for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery,
• have undergone TJA surgery on any lower extremity joint,
• exhibit uncontrolled hypertension (i.e. individuals not currently taking medication for hypertension whose systolic blood pressure is greater than 140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure greater than 90 mm Hg at rest),
• have complaints of low back pain or other lower extremity joint pain that affects function at the time of recruitment,
• have a history of neurological disorders that would affect lower extremity function (stroke, peripheral neuropathy, parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, etc.),
• are women who are pregnant.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 40 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

FED

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

g. kelly fitzgerald

Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

G. Kelley Fitzgerald, PT, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Pittsburgh

Julie M Fritz, PT, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, UT

John D Childs, PT, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Army-Baylor University, San Antonio, TX

J. Haxby Abbott, PT, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

Locations

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Army-Baylor University

San Antonio, Texas, United States

Intermountain Healthcare

Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Countries

United States

References

Bove AM, Smith KJ, Bise CG, Fritz JM, Childs JD, Brennan GP, Abbott JH, Fitzgerald GK. Exercise, Manual Therapy, and Booster Sessions in Knee Osteoarthritis: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis From a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. Phys Ther. 2018 Jan 1;98(1):16-27. doi: 10.1093/ptj/pzx104.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 29088393 (View on PubMed)

Fitzgerald GK, Fritz JM, Childs JD, Brennan GP, Talisa V, Gil AB, Neilson BD, Abbott JH. Exercise, manual therapy, and use of booster sessions in physical therapy for knee osteoarthritis: a multi-center, factorial randomized clinical trial. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2016 Aug;24(8):1340-9. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2016.03.001. Epub 2016 Mar 10.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 26973326 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

1R01HS019624-01

Identifier Type: AHRQ

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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