Trial Outcomes & Findings for The KNEEhabilitation Study: Improving Disability in Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis (NCT NCT02634814)

NCT ID: NCT02634814

Last Updated: 2019-03-06

Results Overview

The Western Ontario and McMasters Universities Index is reliable and valid measure of self reported disability. The physical function consists of 17 items and asks about the magnitude of difficulty when ascending and descending stairs, rising from sitting, standing, bending, walking, getting in / out of a car, shopping, putting on and taking off socks, rising from bed, lying in bed, getting in and out of the bath, sitting, getting on and off the toilet, completing heavy household duties, and completing light household duties. Each item is presented in a 5 point Likert-type format and uses the following descriptors for possible answer choices none, mild moderate, severe, and extreme. Each descriptor corresponds to an ordinal scale of 0-4. The scores are summed for the items in each subscale, with total possible ranges as 0-68. Higher scores on the WOMAC indicate greater amounts of functional limitations.

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

NA

Target enrollment

90 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

8-weeks from Baseline

Results posted on

2019-03-06

Participant Flow

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
TENS and Therapeutic Exercise
Patients assigned to this group will receive a Select System TENS (i.e., transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation TENS) unit, and 8 hours of TENS per day (150 pulses per second, 150 msec phase duration at a patient-perceived strong sensory intensity). Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist.
Sham TENS and Therapeutic Exercise
Patients will receive a Select System TENS unit specifically configured to cease TENS current output 20 seconds after the participants initiation. For blinding purposes, patients will be told that they should feel a brief stimulation (\~20 seconds) that will become "sub-sensory" in nature. The participants will wear the Sham TENS for 8 hours per day. Ten sessions of traditional therapeutic exercise (TE) will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. Each TE Session will last 45 minutes and include open and closed chain lower extremity muscle strengthening exercises. The exercise will be progressed using the Daily Adjusted Progressive Resistive Exercise Program.
Therapeutic Exercise Only
Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. Each TE Session will last 45 minutes and include open and closed chain lower extremity muscle strengthening exercises. The exercise will be progressed using the Daily Adjusted Progressive Resistive Exercise Program.
Overall Study
STARTED
32
29
29
Overall Study
COMPLETED
30
23
29
Overall Study
NOT COMPLETED
2
6
0

Reasons for withdrawal

Withdrawal data not reported

Baseline Characteristics

The KNEEhabilitation Study: Improving Disability in Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
TENS and Therapeutic Exercise
n=32 Participants
Patients assigned to this group will receive a Select System TENS unit, and 8 hours of TENS per day (150 pulses per second, 150 msec phase duration at a patient-perceived strong sensory intensity). Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist.
Sham TENS and Therapeutic Exercise
n=29 Participants
Patients will receive a Select System TENS unit specifically configured to cease TENS current output 20 seconds after the participants initiation. For blinding purposes, patients will be told that they should feel a brief stimulation (\~20 seconds) that will become "sub-sensory" in nature. The participants will wear the Sham TENS for 8 hours per day. Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. Each TE Session will last 45 minutes and include open and closed chain lower extremity muscle strengthening exercises. The exercise will be progressed using the Daily Adjusted Progressive Resistive Exercise Program.
Therapeutic Exercise Only
n=29 Participants
Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. Each TE Session will last 45 minutes and include open and closed chain lower extremity muscle strengthening exercises. The exercise will be progressed using the Daily Adjusted Progressive Resistive Exercise Program.
Total
n=90 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
25 Participants
n=5 Participants
21 Participants
n=7 Participants
22 Participants
n=5 Participants
68 Participants
n=4 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
7 Participants
n=5 Participants
8 Participants
n=7 Participants
7 Participants
n=5 Participants
22 Participants
n=4 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
18 Participants
n=5 Participants
19 Participants
n=7 Participants
14 Participants
n=5 Participants
51 Participants
n=4 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
14 Participants
n=5 Participants
10 Participants
n=7 Participants
15 Participants
n=5 Participants
39 Participants
n=4 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
1 Participants
n=4 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
7 Participants
n=5 Participants
6 Participants
n=7 Participants
6 Participants
n=5 Participants
19 Participants
n=4 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
25 Participants
n=5 Participants
23 Participants
n=7 Participants
22 Participants
n=5 Participants
70 Participants
n=4 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=4 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
32 Participants
n=5 Participants
29 Participants
n=7 Participants
29 Participants
n=5 Participants
90 Participants
n=4 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 8-weeks from Baseline

Population: A proportion of the participants were lost to follow-up.

The Western Ontario and McMasters Universities Index is reliable and valid measure of self reported disability. The physical function consists of 17 items and asks about the magnitude of difficulty when ascending and descending stairs, rising from sitting, standing, bending, walking, getting in / out of a car, shopping, putting on and taking off socks, rising from bed, lying in bed, getting in and out of the bath, sitting, getting on and off the toilet, completing heavy household duties, and completing light household duties. Each item is presented in a 5 point Likert-type format and uses the following descriptors for possible answer choices none, mild moderate, severe, and extreme. Each descriptor corresponds to an ordinal scale of 0-4. The scores are summed for the items in each subscale, with total possible ranges as 0-68. Higher scores on the WOMAC indicate greater amounts of functional limitations.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
TENS and Therapeutic Exercise
n=30 Participants
Patients assigned to this group will receive a Select System TENS unit, and 8 hours of TENS per day (150 pulses per second, 150 msec phase duration at a patient-perceived strong sensory intensity). Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist.
Sham TENS and Therapeutic Exercise
n=23 Participants
Patients will receive a Select System TENS unit specifically configured to cease TENS current output 20 seconds after the participants initiation. For blinding purposes, patients will be told that they should feel a brief stimulation (\~20 seconds) that will become "sub-sensory" in nature. The participants will wear the Sham TENS for 8 hours per day. Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. Each TE Session will last 45 minutes and include open and closed chain lower extremity muscle strengthening exercises. The exercise will be progressed using the Daily Adjusted Progressive Resistive Exercise Program.
Therapeutic Exercise Only
n=29 Participants
Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. Each TE Session will last 45 minutes and include open and closed chain lower extremity muscle strengthening exercises. The exercise will be progressed using the Daily Adjusted Progressive Resistive Exercise Program.
Mean in Self-reported Disability Score as Measured by the Western Ontario and McMasters Universities Index Between Groups
20.6 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 11.91
20.57 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 11.54
21.72 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 9.80

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 8-weeks from Baseline

Population: Difference in baseline individuals and number of participants are due to a proportion of patients lost to follow up and participants electing not to undergo voluntary quadriceps activation.

The investigators assessed voluntary quadriceps central activation ratio as a representative variable of lower extremity neuromuscular activation using the supra imposition technique. Quadriceps central activation ratio has been demonstrated to be significantly decreased in knee osteoarthritis (OA) compared to healthy, matched controls, and the investigators have reported acceptable measurement reliability (ICC2,k = 0.85)

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
TENS and Therapeutic Exercise
n=26 Participants
Patients assigned to this group will receive a Select System TENS unit, and 8 hours of TENS per day (150 pulses per second, 150 msec phase duration at a patient-perceived strong sensory intensity). Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist.
Sham TENS and Therapeutic Exercise
n=27 Participants
Patients will receive a Select System TENS unit specifically configured to cease TENS current output 20 seconds after the participants initiation. For blinding purposes, patients will be told that they should feel a brief stimulation (\~20 seconds) that will become "sub-sensory" in nature. The participants will wear the Sham TENS for 8 hours per day. Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. Each TE Session will last 45 minutes and include open and closed chain lower extremity muscle strengthening exercises. The exercise will be progressed using the Daily Adjusted Progressive Resistive Exercise Program.
Therapeutic Exercise Only
n=27 Participants
Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. Each TE Session will last 45 minutes and include open and closed chain lower extremity muscle strengthening exercises. The exercise will be progressed using the Daily Adjusted Progressive Resistive Exercise Program.
Mean Voluntary Quadriceps Activation as Measured by the Central Activation Ratio Expressed as a Percent of Full Activation
87.5 percentage of full activation
Standard Deviation 9.9
85.8 percentage of full activation
Standard Deviation 12.5
86.7 percentage of full activation
Standard Deviation 11.8

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 8-weeks from Baseline

Population: Difference in baseline individuals and number of participants are due to a proportion of patients lost to follow up and participants electing not to undergo voluntary quadriceps activation.

Quadriceps strength was measured in Newton Meters normalized to body weight of the individuals. Strength was assessed in 90 degrees of knee flexion.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
TENS and Therapeutic Exercise
n=29 Participants
Patients assigned to this group will receive a Select System TENS unit, and 8 hours of TENS per day (150 pulses per second, 150 msec phase duration at a patient-perceived strong sensory intensity). Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist.
Sham TENS and Therapeutic Exercise
n=22 Participants
Patients will receive a Select System TENS unit specifically configured to cease TENS current output 20 seconds after the participants initiation. For blinding purposes, patients will be told that they should feel a brief stimulation (\~20 seconds) that will become "sub-sensory" in nature. The participants will wear the Sham TENS for 8 hours per day. Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. Each TE Session will last 45 minutes and include open and closed chain lower extremity muscle strengthening exercises. The exercise will be progressed using the Daily Adjusted Progressive Resistive Exercise Program.
Therapeutic Exercise Only
n=27 Participants
Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. Each TE Session will last 45 minutes and include open and closed chain lower extremity muscle strengthening exercises. The exercise will be progressed using the Daily Adjusted Progressive Resistive Exercise Program.
Mean Maximal Quadriceps Strength as Measured by the Maximal Isometric Voluntary Contractions Normalized to Body Weight
1.5 Nm/kg body weight
Standard Deviation 0.58
1.53 Nm/kg body weight
Standard Deviation 0.48
1.54 Nm/kg body weight
Standard Deviation 0.57

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 8-weeks from Baseline

Population: Difference in baseline individuals and number of participants are due to a proportion of patients lost to follow up and measurable outcomes were unable to be analyzed due to error in positioning of knee joint center marker.

The peak internal knee extension moment was calculated using using inverse dynamics calculations in the first 50% of the stance phase of gait and normalized to the Body Weight\* height (m) of the individual during self selected gait speed.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
TENS and Therapeutic Exercise
n=18 Participants
Patients assigned to this group will receive a Select System TENS unit, and 8 hours of TENS per day (150 pulses per second, 150 msec phase duration at a patient-perceived strong sensory intensity). Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist.
Sham TENS and Therapeutic Exercise
n=16 Participants
Patients will receive a Select System TENS unit specifically configured to cease TENS current output 20 seconds after the participants initiation. For blinding purposes, patients will be told that they should feel a brief stimulation (\~20 seconds) that will become "sub-sensory" in nature. The participants will wear the Sham TENS for 8 hours per day. Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. Each TE Session will last 45 minutes and include open and closed chain lower extremity muscle strengthening exercises. The exercise will be progressed using the Daily Adjusted Progressive Resistive Exercise Program.
Therapeutic Exercise Only
n=23 Participants
Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. Each TE Session will last 45 minutes and include open and closed chain lower extremity muscle strengthening exercises. The exercise will be progressed using the Daily Adjusted Progressive Resistive Exercise Program.
Mean Internal Knee Extension Moment During Walking Gait Measured in Nm/ Body Weight*m
.027 Nm/ Body Weight *m
Standard Deviation .015
.03 Nm/ Body Weight *m
Standard Deviation .015
.029 Nm/ Body Weight *m
Standard Deviation .013

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 8-weeks from Baseline

Population: Difference in baseline individuals and number of participants are due to a proportion of patients lost to follow up and measurable outcomes were unable to be analyzed due to error in positioning of knee joint center marker.

The peak Knee Flexion Angle was calculated using using inverse dynamics calculations in the first 50% of the stance phase of gait and during self selected gait speed.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
TENS and Therapeutic Exercise
n=18 Participants
Patients assigned to this group will receive a Select System TENS unit, and 8 hours of TENS per day (150 pulses per second, 150 msec phase duration at a patient-perceived strong sensory intensity). Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist.
Sham TENS and Therapeutic Exercise
n=16 Participants
Patients will receive a Select System TENS unit specifically configured to cease TENS current output 20 seconds after the participants initiation. For blinding purposes, patients will be told that they should feel a brief stimulation (\~20 seconds) that will become "sub-sensory" in nature. The participants will wear the Sham TENS for 8 hours per day. Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. Each TE Session will last 45 minutes and include open and closed chain lower extremity muscle strengthening exercises. The exercise will be progressed using the Daily Adjusted Progressive Resistive Exercise Program.
Therapeutic Exercise Only
n=23 Participants
Ten sessions of TE will be provided under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. Each TE Session will last 45 minutes and include open and closed chain lower extremity muscle strengthening exercises. The exercise will be progressed using the Daily Adjusted Progressive Resistive Exercise Program.
Mean Knee Flexion Angle During Walking Gait Measured in Degrees of Knee Flexion
9.97 degrees
Standard Deviation 7.39
9.05 degrees
Standard Deviation 5.75
9.3 degrees
Standard Deviation 5.75

Adverse Events

TENS and Therapeutic Exercise

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Sham TENS and Therapeutic Exercise

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Therapeutic Exercise Only

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Brian Pietrosimone, PhD

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Phone: 919-962-3617

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place