Step Promotion for Osteoarthritis

(STOP Trial)

Overseen By Caroline Lisee, PhD

Age: < 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Georgia

Disqualifiers: Acl revision, Multiple ligament surgery, Fracture, Joint diseases, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

56 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine how daily steps impact knee health after ACL repair surgery. It examines whether fewer steps weaken knee cartilage, potentially increasing the risk of osteoarthritis. Participants will join an Adaptive Daily Step Promotion program to gradually increase their daily steps. This study suits individuals who had ACL surgery 6 to 60 months ago, own a smartphone, and walk fewer than 7,000 steps a day. As an unphased trial, it offers a unique opportunity to contribute to research that could enhance recovery strategies for ACL surgery patients.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the trial coordinators or your doctor.

What prior data suggests that this adaptive daily step promotion is safe for individuals post-ACLR?

Research shows that physical activity, such as daily walking, is generally safe for people with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Studies indicate that walking up to 10,000 steps a day does not worsen OA in those affected. Most people can therefore increase their daily steps without issues.

Additionally, one study found that mindful exercise through telehealth is safe for people with knee OA. This suggests that organized exercise programs, even online, are unlikely to cause harm.

While these findings are encouraging, everyone is different. Those with specific concerns or health issues should consult a healthcare provider before changing their exercise routine. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the adaptive daily step promotion for osteoarthritis because it offers a non-invasive, personalized approach that encourages patients to increase their physical activity in a way that suits their individual capabilities. Unlike traditional treatments like pain relievers or joint injections, which focus on symptom management, this method aims to improve joint function and reduce pain through tailored exercise regimens. By adapting to each participant's progress, this intervention could potentially enhance mobility and overall quality of life without the side effects associated with medications.

What evidence suggests that adaptive daily step promotion is effective for osteoarthritis?

Research has shown that walking more each day can improve knee health after ACL surgery. In one study involving 200 people with hip and knee arthritis, participants who followed a step-by-step activity program experienced significant improvements. Additionally, evidence suggests that increased walking is linked to better overall health, such as a reduced risk of heart issues. These findings support the idea that taking more steps daily can lead to stronger, healthier knee cartilage. In this trial, participants in the interventional group will join an adaptive daily step promotion intervention, which aims to encourage more walking to boost joint health and strength. ^{1 2 4 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Caroline Lisee, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Georgia

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for individuals who had ACL reconstruction surgery 6-24 months ago, are finished with physical therapy, can do unrestricted activities, and take fewer than 7,000 steps daily. They must own a smartphone and not plan to start any new knee therapies during the study. It's not for those with previous ACL graft injuries or other joint diseases in the knees, pregnant women or those planning pregnancy soon, people with BMI ≥ 36 kg/m2, non-English speakers, or certain medical conditions.

Inclusion Criteria

Provision of signed and dated informed consent form

I had ACL surgery between 6 to 24 months ago.

My doctor says I can do any activity without restrictions.

Exclusion Criteria

Pregnant or plans to become pregnant over next 4 months

Body mass index (BMI) ≥ 36 kg/m2

Pacemaker

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Baseline Assessment

Participants undergo baseline assessment including MRI and physical activity monitoring

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Intervention

Participants engage in a 16-week daily step promotion intervention to increase daily steps

16 weeks

Regular monitoring (virtual)

Post-Intervention Assessment

Participants undergo post-intervention assessment including MRI and physical activity monitoring

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after the intervention

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Adaptive Daily Step Promotion

Trial Overview

The study aims to understand how daily walking affects knee cartilage health after ACL surgery by using MRI scans. Participants will track their steps to see if low activity levels lead to weaker cartilage. The hypothesis is that fewer daily steps result in poorer knee cartilage condition.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Interventional Group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants who meet study criteria and are enrolled in adaptive daily step promotion intervention

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Georgia

Lead Sponsor

Trials

109

Recruited

43,500+

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

Collaborator

Trials

508

Recruited

1,090,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A new low-technology measure of exercise capacity was developed and tested on 158 employed African American women, showing that it correctly categorized 79.33% of participants based on their exercise tolerance, significantly outperforming average daily steps (ADS) which only correctly categorized 22.15%.

This new tool provides a more accurate assessment of exercise capability compared to ADS, making it a valuable option for practitioners in both clinical and nonclinical settings, especially in low-resource environments.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Calculated metabolic equivalents: a tool for exercise prescription among African American women. Gaydos, LM., Pullen, PR., Hogue, CJ., et al.[2022]

A feasibility study involving 26 participants with knee osteoarthritis demonstrated that smartwatches can effectively track daily pain levels and step counts in real time, providing valuable data on day-to-day variability in pain.

Participants with fluctuating pain levels had significantly lower average step counts compared to those with sustained high or low pain, suggesting a potential link between pain variability and physical activity that warrants further investigation in larger studies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Day-to-day variability of knee pain and the relationship with physical activity in people with knee osteoarthritis: an observational, feasibility study using consumer smartwatches. Vivekanantham, A., Selby, D., Lunt, M., et al.[2023]

In a study of 51 participants who underwent total knee replacement, younger age was found to be a significant predictor of adherence to a step count intervention, with 47% of participants exceeding their step goals.

While higher patient activation and technology self-efficacy initially appeared to correlate with better adherence, these factors were not significant after adjusting for age, suggesting that age may be a more critical factor in adherence to post-surgery rehabilitation activities.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Predictors of Adherence to a Step Count Intervention Following Total Knee Replacement: An Exploratory Cohort Study. Duong, V., Dennis, S., Ferreira, ML., et al.[2022]

In a study of 339 elderly individuals aged 60-89 in Japan, daily step count was found to correlate with walking ability, including walking speed and balance, indicating that tracking steps can be a useful health promotion tool for older adults.

The research revealed that 41.7% of men and 28.8% of women had low-level walking, primarily due to factors like intermittent claudication and fear of falling, suggesting that encouraging daily walking could improve overall health and mobility in the elderly.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Utility of the number of steps walked daily as a health promotion parameter in community-dwelling elderly persons]. Shibutani, T.[2019]

The adaptive step goal and reward intervention delivered through the Just Walk smartphone app led to a significant increase in daily steps by an average of 2650 steps among 20 overweight participants over a 14-week period.

Participants reported high satisfaction with the app and appreciated the variability in daily goals, suggesting that this tailored approach could effectively promote increased physical activity in sedentary adults.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adaptive step goals and rewards: a longitudinal growth model of daily steps for a smartphone-based walking intervention. Korinek, EV., Phatak, SS., Martin, CA., et al.[2022]

In a study involving 99 older adults with varying levels of mobility, the StepWatch and Fitbit One were found to be the most accurate step detectors, with underestimations of only 1.7% to 4.4% for nonimpaired and impaired individuals, indicating their reliability for tracking physical activity in this population.

In contrast, the Fitbit Flex showed significant underestimation of steps (up to 26.9% for nonimpaired adults), suggesting it may not be suitable for accurate step counting in older adults, especially those with mobility impairments.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Validation of Consumer-Based Hip and Wrist Activity Monitors in Older Adults With Varied Ambulatory Abilities. Floegel, TA., Florez-Pregonero, A., Hekler, EB., et al.[2019]

The article reviews the use of pedometers to measure physical activity, suggesting that a daily goal of 10,000 steps is a reasonable target for healthy adults, based on emerging evidence of health benefits associated with this level of activity.

However, the 10,000 steps/day goal may not be suitable for everyone, particularly older adults and those with chronic diseases, and alternative indices are proposed to better classify activity levels, such as <5000 steps/day for sedentary lifestyles and >12,500 steps/day for highly active individuals.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

How many steps/day are enough? Preliminary pedometer indices for public health. Tudor-Locke, C., Bassett, DR.[2022]

The study analyzed data from three phase III clinical trials involving a total of 4,480 patients with moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis (OA) to define meaningful within-patient change (MWPC) in the WOMAC index, which measures pain, physical function, and stiffness.

The established MWPC values for WOMAC domains ranged from 0.84-1.16 on a 0-10 scale, indicating the amount of change needed for patients to feel a significant difference in their OA symptoms, which can help in assessing treatment effectiveness.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

WOMAC Meaningful Within-patient Change: Results From 3 Studies of Tanezumab in Patients With Moderate-to-severe Osteoarthritis of the Hip or Knee. Conaghan, PG., Dworkin, RH., Schnitzer, TJ., et al.[2022]

In a study of 122 patients with advanced hip osteoarthritis, using a Fitbit to track daily steps revealed an average of 5721 steps per day, indicating a measurable level of physical activity.

There was a significant positive correlation between the number of steps taken and patient-reported outcomes, suggesting that wearable technology can effectively assess physical activity levels and their impact on health in hip OA patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Correlation between hip osteoarthritis and the level of physical activity as measured by wearable technology and patient-reported questionnaires. Morcos, MW., Teeter, MG., Somerville, LE., et al.[2022]

In a study involving 200 patients with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis, those who participated in 18 sessions of behavioral graded activity showed significantly higher exercise adherence compared to those receiving usual care, both at 13 weeks and 65 weeks.

The experimental group also had a greater number of participants meeting physical activity recommendations at both time points, indicating that behavioral graded activity is more effective in promoting long-term physical activity in this population.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Behavioural graded activity results in better exercise adherence and more physical activity than usual care in people with osteoarthritis: a cluster-randomised trial. Pisters, MF., Veenhof, C., de Bakker, DH., et al.[2019]

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