Tele-assessment of the Performance Tests in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

Completed

• Conditions: Telerehabilitation; Tele-assessment; Knee Arthritis Osteoarthritis; Performance Measures

• Registration Number: NCT06711445
• Lead Sponsor: Selcuk University

Brief Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic widely affected delivery mode of healthcare services. While fewer number of patients were allowed to attend face-to-face rehabilitation sessions, some services were totally unavailable due to the safety measures. The COVID-19 crisis highlighted the value and accelerated the improvement of "tele-assessment and tele-rehabilitation" applications. Consequently, reliable remote assessment approaches were required to evaluate the effectiveness of the remote programs. While tests such as TUG, SLS, and 30CST are valid and reliable for clinical use in patients with knee OA, their psychometric properties are yet to be investigated when used as tele-assessment tests. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the intra- and inter-rater reliability of the TUG, SLS, and 30CST as remote tests in patients with knee OA.

Detailed Description

As the main cause of disability and loss of function in lower limb in middle-aged to elderly individuals , knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common OA worldwide and its prevalence increases with age and obesity . Among non-pharmacological methods, which are the first line of knee OA treatment , physical therapy is commonly prescribed to alleviate pain and improve physical function. However, not all patients with knee OA have access to face-to-face rehabilitation sessions under direct supervision of physicians or physiotherapists. Thanks to telemedicine, patients' access to real-time communication with health professionals has been considerably facilitated in recent years.

Detailed and comprehensive assessment is a fundamental factor for an effective rehabilitation program. Different assessment tools are available to assess the effectiveness of rehabilitation in patients with knee OA. To assess physical performance, practical tests, which are time- and space-effective, such as Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), Thirty Second Chair Stand Test (30CST), and Single Leg Stance Test (SLS) are commonly used in patients with knee OA .COVID-19 crisis highlighted the value and accelerated the improvement of "tele-assessment and tele-rehabilitation" applications. Consequently, reliable remote assessment approaches were required to evaluate the effectiveness of the remote programs.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2020-11-15
• Primary Completion: 2021-11-10
• Study Completion: 2021-11-10
• Status Verified: 2024-11
• Study First Submitted: 2024-11-22
• Study First Submitted QC: 2024-11-26
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-11-26
• Study First Posted: 2024-12-02
• Last Update Posted: 2024-12-02

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 60

Inclusion Criteria

• Grade 2 and 3 knee OA on the Kellgren and Lawrence (K/L) scale,
• radiologically confirmed
• pain in the knee,
• willingness to join the study

Exclusion Criteria

• Grade 0, 1 and 4 knee OA on the K/L scale,
• central or peripheral nervous system involvement,
• previous knee surgery within the past six months,
• neurological or musculoskeletal disorders that would limit their performance on the tests,
• history of systemic arthritic conditions

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Timed up and go test (TUG)	2 days	The TUG is a simple practical test that measures the time an individual needs to stand up from a standard chair, walk 3 meters at normal speed, turn around, walk back to the chair, and sit down. Our participants performed 3 trials and their best score (in seconds) was recorded as the primary outcome. Participants had at least 4 minutes of seated rest intervals between the trials. Before and after each test, fatigue and dyspnea (using Borg scale), and hemodynamic (heart rate and SpO2) were evaluated.
Single Leg Stance Test (SLS)	2 days	The participants used their leg with arthritic knee (in cases of unilateral involvement) or the more symptomatic leg (in cases of bilateral involvement) as the stance limb. The test was terminated when the free leg/foot touched the ground, or if excessive trunk/upper body movements (e.g., swinging arms) were observed. Participants were allowed to repeat the test if they scored less than10 seconds during the first attempt. If needed, participants could rest between the trials for recovery. Before and after each test, fatigue and dyspnea (using Borg scale), and hemodynamics (heart rate and SpO2) were evaluated.
Thirty second chair stand test (30 CST)	2 days	The 30 CST checks the number of repetitions in 30 seconds that an individual can stand up from a standard chair (not using the arms/hands, feet flat on the ground) and sit back again. Our test chair was 43 cm in height and had no armrest. The participants performed 3 trials and their best score was recorded as the test result. If needed, they were allowed to rest (\>5 min) between the trials for recovery. Before and after each test, fatigue and dyspnea (using Borg scale), and hemodynamics (heart rate and SpO2) were evaluated.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Selcuk University, Faculty of Health Sciences; 🇹🇷 Konya, Turkey