Individual Differences in Gait and Osteoarthritis Pain

NCT ID: NCT07308873

Last Updated: 2025-12-30

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

300 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-12-31

Study Completion Date

2030-08-01

Brief Summary

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The goal of this observational study is to look at inter-individual differences in knee osteoarthritis (OA) walking pain and performance. The main questions this study aims to answer are:

Why do some people with knee osteoarthritis have more severe disabling pain than others, even though the degenerative changes in their knees are similar?

What are the factors that contribute to walking pain in people with knee osteoarthritis?

Participants will complete surveys, perform physical function tasks, get a knee X-ray and MRI, undergo non-invasive brain imaging, and undergo sensory testing.

Detailed Description

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This observational study will identify biopsychosocial factors that contribute to inter-individual differences in walking pain and pain limiting walking with the hypothesis that neural processes play a key role. This study's objective is to elucidate "whole person" biopsychosocial mechanisms of movement-evoked pain and pain limitations on function in knee OA, helping to determine why some patients have severe disabling pain while others do not despite similar degenerative changes of the knee joint. Three hundred participants with knee OA will undergo a comprehensive data collection over two study visits, including surveys, exercise tasks, non-invasive brain and joint imaging, and biomechanics assessments during mobility. Using advanced analysis, this dataset will be used to identify factors contributing to walking-evoked pain and functional limitations in knee osteoarthritis.These results will identify new therapeutic targets to maintain or improve physical activity in patients with knee osteoarthritis, leading to better outcomes of physical therapy and improved overall health and well-being.

Conditions

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Knee Osteoarthritis (OA) Chronic Pain Chronic Knee Pain

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

CROSS_SECTIONAL

Study Groups

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Chronic knee pain with knee osteoarthritis

Adults 45-80 years old who have moderately severe knee osteoarthritis. They must have experienced knee pain for greater than 6 months and rate their daily knee pain at \>3 on a 0-10 numeric rating scale.

No interventions assigned to this group

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Knee pain for greater than 6 months.
* Moderate-to-severe knee pain (\>3/10) due to osteoarthritis, as defined by American College of Rheumatology and EULAR diagnostic criteria, on \>50% of days in the past month.
* KL grade 2-4 indicating significant degenerative changes on knee X-ray.
* 45-80 years old

Exclusion Criteria

* Inflammatory arthritis (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis).
* More intense pain due to another chronic pain syndrome (e.g. fibromyalgia, hip osteoarthritis)
* Significant pain or weakness in the lower extremities due to a neurological condition (e.g. lumbar radiculopathy, paresis due to stroke)
* Acute pain that is more intense than knee osteoarthritis pain
* Current routine use of more than 15 mg oral morphine equivalents per day (use of \<15 mg OME does not exclude the participant).
* Recent new medication, exercise, behavioral, or complementary and integrative treatment started in the last month. Stable use of these treatments for greater than 1 month does not exclude the participant.
* Recent intra-articular injection of steroid or other agent (greater than 1 month does not exclude the participant)
* Recent knee radiofrequency ablation (greater than 3 months does not exclude the participant)
* Recent knee arthroscopic surgery (greater than 3 months does not exclude the participant)
* History of knee replacement or open knee surgery on the index knee, defined as the more painful knee on average over the last month.
* Inability to walk or climb stairs without significant assistance (e.g. a one-person assist, use a wheel chair; however, the use of a cane does not exclude the participant).
* Inability to participate in study procedures (e.g. cognitive impairment limiting ability to understand directions, inability to understand and read English)
* Uncontrolled or unstable medical disorder preventing participation in study procedures
* History of brain surgery
* Tattoos on sensory testing sites
* Pregnancy
* Breastfeeding
* Inability to under knee MRI scan due to incompatible devices or foreign bodies.
Minimum Eligible Age

45 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

80 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Pittsburgh

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Benedict Alter

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Benedict Alter, MD, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Pittsburgh

Locations

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UPMC Pain Medicine at Centre Commons

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Benedict Alter, MD, PhD

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 412-665-8052

Email: [email protected]

Emma Racunas, BS

Role: CONTACT

Email: [email protected]

Other Identifiers

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1R01AR086796-01

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

STUDY25080027

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id