Clinical trial: Effect of Hip and Core Muscle Strengthening for Patellofemoral Osteoarthritis: A Feasibility Study (NCT02825238)

Eligibility criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

        Patellofemoral Osteoarthritis group: 1) age 35-70 years, 2) have been diagnosed with knee
        osteoarthritis in one or both knees with symptoms primarily in the anterior knee, 3)
        radiographic evidence of ≥ Grade 1 osteophytes or joint space narrowing at the
        patellofemoral joint according to the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI)
        grading scale (0 = none, 1 = mild/possible, 2 = moderate/definite, 3 = severe), 4) pain
        produced by ≥ 2 of the following: descending steps, ascending steps, sit-to-stand,
        squatting, kneeling, prolonged knee flexion, increased activity (e.g., hiking), morning
        stiffness < 30 minutes, stiffness after sitting ≥ 30 minutes, history of patellar
        subluxation or dislocation in the past.

        Control group: 1) age 35-70 years, 2) no known diagnosis by a physician of knee
        osteoarthritis, 3) pain free in the lower extremities at the time of enrollment into the
        study and for 1 week prior to enrollment.

        Exclusion Criteria:

        Patellofemoral Osteoarthritis (PFOA) group: 1) the presence of other conditions that may
        cause knee pain (e.g., patellar tendonitis, rheumatoid arthritis), 2) neurologic or
        musculoskeletal conditions that may alter lower extremity kinematics (e.g., multiple
        sclerosis, hip arthritis/arthroplasty), 3) history of a fracture of the knee, 4) pregnancy,
        5) knee injections within the past 3 months, 6) inability to understand English.

        Control group: 1) all previously listed exclusion criteria for the PFOA group, 2) knee pain
        produced by 2 or more of the following: descending steps, ascending steps, sit-to-stand,
        squatting, kneeling, prolonged knee flexion, or a history of patellar subluxation or
        dislocation in the past.
No condition on gender to be admitted to the trial.
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Subject must be at least 35 Years old.
Subject must be at most 70 Years

Patient description (medical language): A 66-year-old woman comes to the office due to joint pain in the hands and periodic morning stiffness that lasts less than 15 minutes.  The pain is moderately severe and worsens with daily activity. The patient used Tylenol with minimal relief.  Past medical history is notable for hypertension and hypercholesteremia.  Physical examination shows firm nodules over the distal interphalangeal joints, bilaterally. The patient has pain in her knees as well. The knees are stiff in the morning for less than 30 minutes and become worse with climbing stairs. She has some sensation of bone friction during activity. X-ray shows narrowing of the joint space, subchondral bone sclerosis and osteophyte formation along the joints.

Patient description (patient's own words): I'm a 66-year-old woman and I went to my doctor's office because of a bloody joint pain in my hands that has been lasting for a while. The pain comes and go in the morning usually. I feel like a stiffness that last less than 15 minutes. The pain is moderately severe but it gets worse when I'm using my hands. I used Tylenol which helped a little. Apart from that, I suffer from hypertension and high cholesterol. The doctor made me notice that I have bumps around both of my hand joints. I also suffer from my knees and they are also stiff in the morning for around 30 min. It's even worse when I climb up the stairs! I also feel like my bones are rubbing against each other when I'm moving. The X-ray showed that I have narrow joint space, I have sclerosis, and abnormal growths of bone along my joints.

Does the patient match the trial criteria? 1