The effects of different exercise protocols and different delivery methods on the progression of knee osteoarthritis

Abstract

Osteroarthritis (OA) of the knee places a growing social and economic burden on Brazil and Australia. This proposal aims to investigate the problem of knee AO in two ways. The first project is the investigation of the effectiveness of different exercise protocols in slowing the progression of knee OA. Outcomes for this project involve inflammatory markers, volume of intramuscular fat at the thigh, radiography, tomography and functional assessments. This will be investigated via randomised controlled trials (Brazil and Australia). The second project is the investigation on methods to deliver exercise for people with knee OA. Mainly we will investigate whether the use of technology (internet, mobile phones, etc) are effective in improving adherence of these participants to exercises. For this a series of studies will be run. Firstly we will run surveys to identify the general impact of musculoskeletal complains in a regional population such as the ones around Bendigo and São Carlos. We will also run á systematic review on the same topic. The final study of project 2 is a randomised controlled trial having participants receiving "remote" physiotherapy and participants receiving conventional treatment. Outcomes will be level of adherence to treatment and level of progression of disease. Overall we will be able to run comparative studies analysing the differences and similarities between countries. (AU)