WATERinMOTION Aquatic Therapy in Obese Men With Knee Osteoarthritis

Mechanistic and Functional Outcomes of WATERinMOTION Aquatic Therapy in Obese Men With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial With 6-Month Follow-Up

Status

Enrolling by invitation

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT06946329

Acronym

WATERinMOTION

Enrollment

100

Registered

2025-04-27

Start date

2024-03-01

Completion date

2025-05-01

Last updated

2025-04-27

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

Conditions

Osteoarthritis, Knee, Obesity

Keywords

Aquatic Therapy, Exercise Therapy, Quality of Life, Biomarkers, Wearable Electronic Devices

Brief summary

This RCT evaluates whether WATERinMOTION aquatic therapy improves pain, function, and quality of life more effectively than land-based exercise in obese men with knee osteoarthritis (OA). We will assess clinical outcomes (WOMAC), serum biomarkers (COMP, IL-6), and real-world activity (accelerometry) at baseline, 8 weeks, and 6 months.

Detailed description

100 participants (BMI ≥30, age 45-65, radiographic knee OA) will be randomized to: Aquatic group: 24 sessions over 8 weeks (3x/week) in 32°C water, progressing from buoyancy-assisted to resistance exercises. Land group: Matched duration/intensity land-based rehabilitation. Primary outcomes: WOMAC pain/function. Secondary outcomes: SF-36 quality of life, serum COMP, 6-minute walk test, and accelerometer-measured step count.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALAquatic Exercise

Supervised WATERinMOTION sessions (60 mins, 3x/week) in heated pool. Focus on progressive resistance and mobility exercises.

BEHAVIORALLand-Based Rehabilitation

Matched frequency/duration land-based program emphasizing core stabilization and low-impact aerobics.

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

Single-blind (outcome assessors only; participants/instructors unblinded due to intervention nature).

Intervention model description

Parallel Assignment

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

MALE

Age

45 Years to 65 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Males aged 45-65 * BMI ≥30 kg/m² * Radiographic knee OA (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2-3) * WOMAC pain score ≥25/50

Exclusion criteria

* Inflammatory arthritis (e.g., rheumatoid) * Intra-articular injections within 3 months * Contraindications to aquatic exercise

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
WOMAC Pain Subscale	Baseline, 8 weeks, 6 months	Change from baseline in WOMAC pain score (0-20 scale).
WOMAC Function Subscale	Baseline, 8 weeks, 6 months	Change in functional disability (0-68 scale).

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
SF-36 Quality of Life	Baseline, 8 weeks, 6 months	Physical/Mental Component Summaries (0-100).
Serum COMP	Baseline, 8 weeks	Change in cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (ng/mL).
Daily Step Count	Continuous over 8 weeks	Measured via ActiGraph GT9X accelerometer.

Countries

Iran

Outcome results

None listed

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