Prevention, Management and Rehabilitation of Knee Osteoarthritis at the Workplace

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The goal of this intervention study is to assess the effect of blood flow restricted (BFR) exercise integrated into the daily work tasks among hospital workers with or at increased risk of chronic knee pain. The main questions are: Can BFR exercise integrated into the daily work tasks reduce knee pain (primary outcome) and improve function and work ability among hospital workers with or at increased risk of chronic knee pain? Participants in the intervention group will for shorts bouts during their workdays integrate BFR into their daily work tasks involving walking, whereas the control group will continue as usual.

Official Title
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Prevention, Management and Rehabilitation of Knee Osteoarthritis at the Workplace

Conditions
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Knee Pain Chronic, Knee Osteoarthritis, Knee Discomfort

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Blood flow restriction (BFR)
* Behavioral: Usual care (control)


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Hospital workers working at least 20 hours per week with or without chronic knee pain (>3 months) Exclusion Criteria: Life-threatening disease Conditions where BFR training may be contraindicated, e.g. pregnancy, cancer, diabetes, major cardiovascular disease, current, previous or family history of clotting disorders, recent immobilization, major surgery or injections into the joint (i.e. corticosteroid injection) Systolic/diastolic blood pressure above 160/100 mmHg

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 67 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Blood flow restriction (BFR)<br>Blood flow restricted training (BFR) integrated into the daily work tasks for 8 weeks. | Behavioral: Blood flow restriction (BFR)<br>* Blood flow restricted training integrated into the daily work tasks for 8 weeks.<br>Behavioral: Usual care (control)<br>* Will continue their work as usual<br>|
| Active Comparator: Usual care (control)<br>Will continue their work as usual | Behavioral: Usual care (control)<br>* Will continue their work as usual<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pain intensity | Change in worst knee pain intensity during the last week rated on a 11-point numeric rating scale (NRS) | Change pre-post 8 weeks of intervention | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Functional performance | 30-s chair-stand test, 40 m fast-paced walk test, a stair-climb test, maximal isometric knee extensor muscle strength | Change pre-post 8 weeks of intervention | 
| Work ability | Single-item on physical work ability derived from the Work Ability Index (WAI) | Change pre-post 8 weeks of intervention |