Impact of weight loss on arthritic knee pain
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Anti-gravity simulated weight reduction: a study to assess the impact upon pain for knee arthritis
IRAS ID
256479
Contact name
Adrian Harvey
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 2 days
Research summary
Joint arthritis is the result of loss of joint lining or cartilage and results in pain, disability and reduced quality of life. Arthritis is associated with elevated body weight or body mass index (BMI). Body mass index is used as a surrogate for weight as this takes into account the patients height. Patients presenting with arthritis are advised to lose weight, take pain killers (analgesia) and use walking aids such as walking sticks. Little is known of the impact of weight loss on knee arthritis pain. After conservative treatment, symptomatic arthritis of the knee may require joint replacement surgery.
Joint replacement surgery, in patients who are overweight, carries with it increased surgical risks. A raised BMI increases the risk of infection and potentially fatal blood clots. It is therefore important to explore the option of weight loss in such patients prior to surgery. Weight reduction may be aspirational but it is unknown if weight loss reduces arthritis pain.
A previous study at Royal Bournemouth Hospital evaluated how weight loss effects arthritis pain in the foot and ankle. The (currently unpublished) results show a reduction in foot and ankle pain of 43% in those patients who returned to a normal weight or BMI.The purchase and installation of the AlterG antigravity machine in February 2015 at Bournemouth Hospital provides the opportunity to simulate weight loss in patients with knee arthritis. Currently there are no similar studies evaluating the impact of weight loss with knee arthritis.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
19/NI/0210
Date of REC Opinion
11 Nov 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion