PrE-OA Pilot RCT
Preventing Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis and other Health Consequences following Knee Joint Injury: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
The high risk of developing post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is one of the negative long-term consequences of youth sport injuries. There is no cure to osteoarthritis (OA), and the only way to prevent the burden associated with OA is through prevention.
The purpose of the intervention development study is to develop an evidence-informed exercise and education program. The purpose of the Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial is to determine the feasibility of an 8-week exercise and education program followed by a maintenance period. The program will also be used to determine how the exercise and education program effects the musculoskeletal health of young adults who sustained a knee injury in youth sport.
Who is participating?
Intervention Development Study (Part 1): Clinical experts, such as physiotherapists, athletic therapists, sports medicine physicians, orthopaedic surgeons, rheumatologists and osteoarthritis researchers.
Intervention Development Study (Part 2): Young adults with a history of sport-related knee injury that occurred prior to age 18 and adults with expertise in exercise program delivery and research.
Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial: 40 young adults who previously participated in the PrE-OA Knee Study and individuals who had knee injuries during youth sport.
What are participants doing?
Intervention Development Study (Part 1): Following the development of the exercise component, clinical experts will be interviewed and provide feedback to the exercise program.
Intervention Development Study (Part 2): Once the research team has taken the clinical experts' feedback into consideration and developed a second version of the exercise program, the study physiotherapist will lead the group of young adults through the exercise class. After the class, the participants will complete a questionnaire regarding their experience, and may be invited to take part in a one-on-one interview. The feedback from this study will help to develop the final version.
Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial: Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. Both groups will receive the same 8-week exercise and education program, with Group 1 completing the program while Group 2 does not. When Group 1 has completed their program, Group 2 will complete the 8-week program. All participants will complete a series of strength, balance, aerobic and body composition measures at baseline, 8 weeks, 16 weeks and 24 weeks of the study.