The University of Iowa recently received a $1.18 million grant to advance treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Neil Segal, MD, UI hospitals and Clinics orthopedist, awarded the grant from the Paul B. Beeson Career Development Awards in Aging Research Program.
How common is osteoarthritis in the knee?
Osteoarthritis of the knee is very common. In the United State, nearly 27 million adults have osteoarthritis. This increased from 21 million just 10 years ago. In other words, five out of every 200 adults develop osteoarthritis each year.
Who is most likely to develop osteoarthritis in their knee or knees?
Being more than 15 pounds overweight or having a knee-joint injury are the most important factors that can be avoided. Other factors that can’t be avoided or changed include older age or having had surgery on the knee.
What will your research focus on in terms of osteoarthritis?
This research focuses on how to reduce pain and improve ability to move through rehabilitation programs. For example, working with a trainer might help improve muscle power or make it easier to get up out of a chair and walk.
How will the research be conducted?
We see research volunteers at our Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation research offices at The University of Iowa and provide specific programs aimed at helping people to walk better. For example, volunteers might meet with a physical therapist to reduce harmful forces in the knee while walking, or may receive instruction in using weights to improve muscle power in the legs. The kind of muscle power that helps us go up stairs or get up out of a chair.
Who will you be inviting to participate in the study?
We’re looking for volunteers aged 60 and over with knee osteoarthritis and frequently painful or stiff knees. Because our interventions involve walking and some exercises, we’re looking for volunteers who, for example, might have some difficulty walking, getting in and out of a car, but who can still walk.
What will participants be asked to do as part of the study?
Participants are invited to meet with our personal trainer or physical therapist twice each week for the first three months to complete exercises or work with our research team to monitor their symptoms. After working with our staff for three months, they continue these programs on their own at home and continue to meet with us each three months so that we can follow their progress.
Will participants benefit from the study, or will the results more likely benefit people who develop osteoarthritis of the knee in the future?
I hope the participants will directly benefit from this study. We’re aiming to reduce their pain and improve their ability to stand from a chair, walk, and ascend stairs. However, this research is being done to study whether these rehabilitation programs are indeed helpful, so we of course won’t know if they’re beneficial until after the study is completed.
What do you hope the results of this study will do in the intervention or treatment of osteoarthritis?
Although we don’t have any cure for osteoarthritis, we hope people with osteoarthritis will be able to live with less pain and be better able to participate in activities that they enjoy, if these rehabilitation programs are helpful.
If somebody is listening and would like to volunteer for this study, is there a way to contact you?
The easiest way to contact us is to call 319-335-7554, e-mail segal-research@uiowa.edu. |
