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Yoga as an Intervention for Women With Knee Osteoarthritis

A Yoga Exercise Intervention Designed for Women With Knee Osteoarthritis

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02146105
Enrollment
45
Registered
2014-05-23
Start date
2014-05-31
Completion date
2015-02-28
Last updated
2017-09-26

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Osteoarthritis

Brief summary

Keeping individuals with knee osteoarthritis physically active is critically important. Exercise is effective at reducing pain while improving physical function. However some exercises can overload the knee, and as a result, worsen knee pain and health of the knee joint. Yoga offers a foundation of static postures that improve muscle strength and joint flexibility. Using sophisticated technology that allows us to calculate the loads inside the knee, the investigators have selected yoga exercises that do not overload the knee joint. The investigators have designed a yoga exercise class that is ideal for people with knee osteoarthritis. The purpose of the study is to investigate whether these yoga exercises increase muscle strength and reduce knee pain in women with knee osteoarthritis. In addition, the investigators aim to show that these yoga exercises will also improve knee loads during activities, mobility and heart health. The investigators will ask 50 women with knee osteoarthritis to participate in a 12 week yoga exercise intervention, that requires attendance to 3 classes each week. The investigators will test strength of the leg muscles, pain, knee joint loads, mobility and cardiovascular health before and after the 12 week yoga exercise intervention.

Detailed description

This study is an uncontrolled intervention study with repeated measures. The intervention is a 12-week supervised exercise class featuring biomechanically sound exercises for people with knee osteoarthritis. Measures of strength of the knee muscles, pain, biomechanics during walking and yoga, mobility and cardiovascular health will be included. Strength will be measured on a dynamometer. Pain will be assessed with questionnaires. Walking and three yoga postures will be observed using motion capture system integrated with force measurements from the floor. Mobility will be assessed during walking, stair-climbing and chair standing tasks. Cardiovascular health will be measured during a submaximal bicycle task.

Interventions

OTHERYoga For Knee Osteoarthritis

Yoga program specifically for women with knee osteoarthritis.

Sponsors

McMaster University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
50 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Female - 50 years of age or older * Knee pain on most days of the week * Less than 30 minutes of morning stiffness * Bony enlargement * Bony tenderness to palpation * Signs of inflammation * Able to safely climb 2 flights of stairs without aid * Visited a family physician within the last 12 months

Exclusion criteria

* Any other forms of arthritis * Osteoporosis * History of patellofemoral symptoms * Active non-arthritic knee disease * Knee surgery * Use of cane or walking aid * Unstable heart condition * Neurological conditions * Skin allergy to medical tape * Hip or ankle injuries in past 3 months * Any injuries that would prohibit participation in yoga * Ipsilateral hip or ankle conditions * Currently receiving cancer treatment * Currently pregnant

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in Knee Extensor TorqueWeek 1 and Week 13Knee extensor torque (Newton\*meter) is calculated on a Biodex dynamometer using an isometric protocol. Trials are completed as a voluntary maximum effort.
Change in Knee PainWeek 1 and Week 13Knee pain is assessed subjectively via the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and the Intermittent and Constant Osteoarthritis Pain (ICOAP) questionnaires.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in 30-second Chair StandWeek 1 and Week 13Participants are asked to cross their arms over their chest and rise and sit back down in a chair as many times as possible in 30 seconds.
Change in Timed Up and Go (TUG)Week 1 and Week 13Participants are asked to raise from a standard chair, walk forward 3-metres until an orange cone is reached, walk around the cone, then walk back to the chair and sit down. The test is to be completed as quickly and safely as possible without running. The trial is repeated a second time and the quickest time (in seconds) is recorded.
Change in Cardiovascular FitnessWeek 1 and Week 13Cardiovascular fitness is assessed using a sub maximal oxygen consumption cycle ergometer test. Heart rate is monitored using a Polar Heart Rate monitor and the test is terminated upon one of two conditions: a) volitional fatigue, or b) within 10 beats of 85% of the age-predicted maximum heart rate is achieved. Values are recorded in mL/kg/min.
Change in Subjective ScalesWeek 1 and Week 13The Centre of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (19-items), the Athens Insomnia Scale (8-items), and the Perceived Stress Scale (10-items) will be given to the participants to gather information on feelings of depression, sleeping patterns, and perceived stress, respectively.
Change in Biomechanical OutcomesWeek 1 and Week 13Participants will be asked to partake in a complete kinematic, kinetic, and electromyographic analysis of gait and static postures using floor-embedded force plates, a 9-camera motion capture system, and a wireless electromyography system. Knee adduction moment (KAM; Nm/kg), normalized electromyography to a percentage of their maximal effort (%MVIC), and muscular co-activation (%) are the variables of interest.
Change in Stair Ascent and DescentWeek 1 and Week 13Participants are asked to climb a standard flight of 9 stairs as quickly and safely as possible without compromising safety. Stair ascent and descent are assessed individually. Time to climb the stairs are recorded (in seconds) and averaged over two trials.
Change in Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT)Week 1 and Week 13Participants are asked to walk as far as possible for a total of six minutes at a self-selected pace in an obstruction-free rectangular hallway. Distance traveled is recorded in metres (m).

Countries

Canada

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Yoga For Knee Osteoarthritis
An tailored arthritis-specific yoga program for women with knee osteoarthritis with the aim of increasing leg strength and alleviating knee pain related to the disease. Yoga For Knee Osteoarthritis: Yoga program specifically for women with knee osteoarthritis.
45
Total45

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000
Overall StudyAdverse Event1
Overall StudyWithdrawal by Subject5

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicYoga For Knee Osteoarthritis
Age, Continuous61.0 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 6.8
Sex: Female, Male
Female
45 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
0 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
— / —
other
Total, other adverse events
1 / 45
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 45

Outcome results

Primary

Change in Knee Extensor Torque

Knee extensor torque (Newton\*meter) is calculated on a Biodex dynamometer using an isometric protocol. Trials are completed as a voluntary maximum effort.

Time frame: Week 1 and Week 13

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
Yoga For Knee OsteoarthritisChange in Knee Extensor Torque130.1 NmStandard Deviation 42.1
Primary

Change in Knee Pain

Knee pain is assessed subjectively via the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and the Intermittent and Constant Osteoarthritis Pain (ICOAP) questionnaires.

Time frame: Week 1 and Week 13

Secondary

Change in 30-second Chair Stand

Participants are asked to cross their arms over their chest and rise and sit back down in a chair as many times as possible in 30 seconds.

Time frame: Week 1 and Week 13

Secondary

Change in Biomechanical Outcomes

Participants will be asked to partake in a complete kinematic, kinetic, and electromyographic analysis of gait and static postures using floor-embedded force plates, a 9-camera motion capture system, and a wireless electromyography system. Knee adduction moment (KAM; Nm/kg), normalized electromyography to a percentage of their maximal effort (%MVIC), and muscular co-activation (%) are the variables of interest.

Time frame: Week 1 and Week 13

Secondary

Change in Cardiovascular Fitness

Cardiovascular fitness is assessed using a sub maximal oxygen consumption cycle ergometer test. Heart rate is monitored using a Polar Heart Rate monitor and the test is terminated upon one of two conditions: a) volitional fatigue, or b) within 10 beats of 85% of the age-predicted maximum heart rate is achieved. Values are recorded in mL/kg/min.

Time frame: Week 1 and Week 13

Secondary

Change in Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT)

Participants are asked to walk as far as possible for a total of six minutes at a self-selected pace in an obstruction-free rectangular hallway. Distance traveled is recorded in metres (m).

Time frame: Week 1 and Week 13

Secondary

Change in Stair Ascent and Descent

Participants are asked to climb a standard flight of 9 stairs as quickly and safely as possible without compromising safety. Stair ascent and descent are assessed individually. Time to climb the stairs are recorded (in seconds) and averaged over two trials.

Time frame: Week 1 and Week 13

Secondary

Change in Subjective Scales

The Centre of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (19-items), the Athens Insomnia Scale (8-items), and the Perceived Stress Scale (10-items) will be given to the participants to gather information on feelings of depression, sleeping patterns, and perceived stress, respectively.

Time frame: Week 1 and Week 13

Secondary

Change in Timed Up and Go (TUG)

Participants are asked to raise from a standard chair, walk forward 3-metres until an orange cone is reached, walk around the cone, then walk back to the chair and sit down. The test is to be completed as quickly and safely as possible without running. The trial is repeated a second time and the quickest time (in seconds) is recorded.

Time frame: Week 1 and Week 13

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Mar 4, 2026