Osteoarthritis (OA) of the KneeNCT07649863
The Effect of Physical Activity on Knee Osteoarthritis, Pain and Gait
A study testing Retro walking (backwards walking) on a treadmill in people with Osteoarthritis (OA) of the Knee, run by Anglia Ruskin University.
Trial summary
Knee osteoarthritis, a chronic musculoskeletal disease, is the most prevalent type of osteoarthritis and the leading cause of disability and major healthcare costs worldwide. The pathogenesis of the disease is not fully understood and there are few non-invasive disease-modifying therapies available to patients. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Osteoarthritis (OA) of the Knee
- What is being tested?
- Retro walking (backwards walking) on a treadmill
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 44 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- Sep 2026to Dec 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Male and female
- Any ethnicity
- Adults over 18 years old
- Meet the UK guidelines for physical activity supported by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) and NHS (able to exercise if it is safe with regular breaks)
- Otherwise, adults with clinically diagnosed knee osteoarthritis according to NICE criteria or confirmed by a healthcare professional able and willing to participate and provide written informed consent
Who cannot join
- Any musculoskeletal injury
- Any conditions known to affects gait (e.g. Parkinson's disease or stroke)
- Any surgical intervention in the previous 12 months on lower limbs
- Surgical replacement of hip or knee joints
- BMI (body mass index) over 35
- Athletes or take part in significant recreational activity
Show all 9Show fewer
- Takes any medication known to affect the gait and ability to walk
- Received an intra-articular injection in the last 3 months
- Have been told by medical professionals that they should not take part in any intensity exercise/physical activity
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Nathan Bytheway, MEng contact
About this study
Official title: The Effect of Retro Walking on Pain and Gait Biomechanics Using Non-linear Analysis in People With Knee Osteoarthritis
Knee osteoarthritis, a chronic musculoskeletal disease, is the most prevalent type of osteoarthritis and the leading cause of disability and major healthcare costs worldwide. The pathogenesis of the disease is not fully understood and there are few non-invasive disease-modifying therapies available to patients. Therefore, there is a critical need to enhance therapeutic interventions, which requires improvement of our understanding of knee osteoarthritis pathogenesis.
Increasing evidence suggests that physical activity and exercise training are cost-effective and widely available interventions for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, however, consideration of type of physical activity and optimal exercise modality are needed to reduce pain, improve gait, knee joint function, stiffness, and muscle weakness in individuals with knee osteoarthritis.
Read more
The aim of this pilot clinical trial is to compare individuals with knee osteoarthritis who have not exercised with individuals that have performed retro walking exercise chosen from the systematic review and survey we have conducted previously to reduce pain and improve gait.
Non-linear analyses will be performed to determine the effects of exercise intervention on gait biomechanics and stability of movement in these patients. These findings may form a basis for recommendations of exercise/physical activity interventions for the benefits of patients with knee osteoarthritis including pain reduction, mobility improvement and gait modification.
- Conditions
- Osteoarthritis (OA) of the Knee
- Being tested
- Retro walking (backwards walking) on a treadmill
- Medical subject headings
- Osteoarthritis
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Retro walking (backwards walking) on a treadmillOther
Also called Exercise
Prior to the intervention participants will be made familiar with retro walking on the treadmill. The exercise will consist of a forward walking for 5min on the treadmill for warm-up followed by retro walking for 10min and a cool-down for 5min. Participants will be instructed to increase their retro walking time up to 30min if the pain sensation continuously was reduced (pain scores < 3 numerical rating scale).
The comfortable speed of the retro walking will be determined by the participant under supervision of the researchers. No slopes or inclination will be used in this study for participant safety. In the warm-up and cool-down sessions participants will be asked to perform muscle stretch, ankle toe movements and heel raise exercises.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Experimental | Participants in the intervention group will perform treadmill retro walking exercise 3 days/week for 6 weeks. Receives: Other: Retro walking (backwards walking) on a treadmill |
| Control | No intervention | Participants in the control group will maintain their existing level of activity. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Knee function and associated frequency and severity of pain
Participants' opinion about their own knee function and associated problems will be assessed through self-administered and validated questionnaire Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS).
KOOS questionnaire designed to collectively evaluate and measure five outcomes in individuals with knee osteoarthritis including:
Pain: Frequency and severity of knee pain. Symptoms: Swelling, grinding, stiffness, and range of motion issues. Activities of Daily Living (ADL): Difficulty with physical tasks like stairs, rising from a seat, or getting in and out of a car.
Sports and Recreation Function: The ability to perform higher-level physical activities, such as running, squatting, or playing sports.
Quality of Life (QOL): Knee-related lifestyle limitations and personal awareness of the joint.
Measured: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
Secondary outcomes (14)
Pain intensity
A standardised tool numeric pain rating scale (NPRS) will be used to measure a participants' pain intensity. It is an 11-point scale ranging from 0 to 10.
0: Represents "no pain" whereas 10: Represents the "worst imaginable pain". Participants can state their number verbally or circle it on a chart.
Measured: Baseline or Day 1 up to 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in spatiotemporal parameter walking speed at 6 weeks
Spatiotemporal parameter walking speed (velocity, meters/sec) will be assessed using VICON motion capture analysis system.
Measured: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in spatiotemporal parameter cadence at 6 weeks
Spatiotemporal parameter cadence (steps/min) will be assessed using VICON motion capture analysis system.
Measured: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in spatiotemporal parameter stride/step length at 6 weeks
Spatiotemporal parameter stride/step length (meters or cm) will be assessed using VICON motion capture analysis system.
Measured: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in spatiotemporal parameter swing/stance phases at 6 weeks
Spatiotemporal parameter swing/stance phases (% of gait cycle) will be assessed using VICON motion capture analysis system.
Measured: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in spatiotemporal parameter double support time at 6 weeks
Spatiotemporal parameter double support time (% of gait cycle) will be assessed using VICON motion capture analysis system.
Measured: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in kinetic parameter knee adduction moment (KAM) at 6 weeks
Kinetic parameter knee adduction moment (KAM) (Newton meters Nm) will be assessed using VICON motion capture analysis system.
Measured: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in kinetic parameter knee flexion/extension moment at 6 weeks
Kinetic parameter knee flexion/extension moment (Newton meters Nm) will be assessed using VICON motion capture analysis system.
Measured: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in kinetic parameter vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) at 6 weeks
Kinetic parameter vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) (Newtons N) will be assessed using VICON motion capture analysis system.
Measured: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in kinetic parameter joint contact force (JCF) at 6 weeks
Kinetic parameter joint contact force (JCF) (Newtons N) will be assessed using VICON motion capture analysis system.
Measured: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in kinematic parameter knee flexion angle at 6 weeks
Kinematic parameter knee flexion angle (Degrees (°)) will be assessed using VICON motion capture analysis system.
Measured: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in kinematic parameter Range of Motion (ROM) at 6 weeks
Kinematic parameter Range of Motion (ROM) (Degrees (°)) will be assessed using VICON motion capture analysis system.
Measured: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in kinematic parameter knee adduction/abduction at 6 weeks
Kinematic parameter knee adduction/abduction (Degrees (°)) will be assessed using VICON motion capture analysis system.
Measured: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
Gait stability
The stability of walking will be measured using non-linear analysis including Lyapunov (1/s or s^(-1)) and Hurst Exponents.
Measured: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Jun 2026
- Study startSep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completionNov 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Osteoarthritis (OA) of the KneeStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 44 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Anglia Ruskin University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Nuffield Health
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07649863
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 356992
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 18 May 2026
- Last updated
- 22 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Retro Walking on Pain and Gait Biomechanics Using Non-linear Analysis in People With Knee Osteoarthritis
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07649863
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 356992
- Conditions
- Osteoarthritis (OA) of the Knee
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 44 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Anglia Ruskin UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Nuffield Health
- Study start
- Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Nov 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 16 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Knee osteoarthritis, a chronic musculoskeletal disease, is the most prevalent type of osteoarthritis and the leading cause of disability and major healthcare costs worldwide. The pathogenesis of the disease is not fully understood and there are few non-invasive disease-modifying therapies available to patients. Therefore, there is a critical need to enhance therapeutic interventions, which requires improvement of our understanding of knee osteoarthritis pathogenesis.
Increasing evidence suggests that physical activity and exercise training are cost-effective and widely available interventions for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, however, consideration of type of physical activity and optimal exercise modality are needed to reduce pain, improve gait, knee joint function, stiffness, and muscle weakness in individuals with knee osteoarthritis.
The aim of this pilot clinical trial is to compare individuals with knee osteoarthritis who have not exercised with individuals that have performed retro walking exercise chosen from the systematic review and survey we have conducted previously to reduce pain and improve gait.
Non-linear analyses will be performed to determine the effects of exercise intervention on gait biomechanics and stability of movement in these patients. These findings may form a basis for recommendations of exercise/physical activity interventions for the benefits of patients with knee osteoarthritis including pain reduction, mobility improvement and gait modification.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Experimental | Other: Retro walking (backwards walking) on a treadmillParticipants in the intervention group will perform treadmill retro walking exercise 3 days/week for 6 weeks. |
| Control | No intervention | –Participants in the control group will maintain their existing level of activity. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Male and female
- Any ethnicity
- Adults over 18 years old
- Meet the UK guidelines for physical activity supported by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) and NHS (able to exercise if it is safe with regular breaks)
- Otherwise, adults with clinically diagnosed knee osteoarthritis according to NICE criteria or confirmed by a healthcare professional able and willing to participate and provide written informed consent
Key exclusion criteria (9 listed)
- Any musculoskeletal injury
- Any conditions known to affects gait (e.g. Parkinson's disease or stroke)
- Any surgical intervention in the previous 12 months on lower limbs
- Surgical replacement of hip or knee joints
- BMI (body mass index) over 35
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Retro walking (backwards walking) on a treadmillAlso: ExercisePrior to the intervention participants will be made familiar with retro walking on the treadmill. The exercise will consist of a forward walking for 5min on the treadmill for warm-up followed by retro walking for 10min and a cool-down for 5min. Participants will be instructed to increase their retro walking time up to 30min if the pain sensation continuously was reduced (pain scores < 3 numerical rating scale). The comfortable speed of the retro walking will be determined by the participant under supervision of the researchers. No slopes or inclination will be used in this study for participant safety. In the warm-up and cool-down sessions participants will be asked to perform muscle stretch, ankle toe movements and heel raise exercises. | Other | Exercise |
Primary outcome
Knee function and associated frequency and severity of pain
Time frame: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
Participants' opinion about their own knee function and associated problems will be assessed through self-administered and validated questionnaire Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). KOOS questionnaire designed to collectively evaluate and measure five outcomes in individuals with knee osteoarthritis including: Pain: Frequency and severity of knee pain. Symptoms: Swelling, grinding, stiffness, and range of motion issues. Activities of Daily Living (ADL): Difficulty with physical tasks like stairs, rising from a seat, or getting in and out of a car. Sports and Recreation Function: The ability to perform higher-level physical activities, such as running, squatting, or playing sports. Quality of Life (QOL): Knee-related lifestyle limitations and personal awareness of the joint.
14 secondary outcomes
Pain intensity
Time frame: Baseline or Day 1 up to 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in spatiotemporal parameter walking speed at 6 weeks
Time frame: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in spatiotemporal parameter cadence at 6 weeks
Time frame: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in spatiotemporal parameter stride/step length at 6 weeks
Time frame: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in spatiotemporal parameter swing/stance phases at 6 weeks
Time frame: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in spatiotemporal parameter double support time at 6 weeks
Time frame: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in kinetic parameter knee adduction moment (KAM) at 6 weeks
Time frame: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in kinetic parameter knee flexion/extension moment at 6 weeks
Time frame: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in kinetic parameter vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) at 6 weeks
Time frame: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in kinetic parameter joint contact force (JCF) at 6 weeks
Time frame: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in kinematic parameter knee flexion angle at 6 weeks
Time frame: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in kinematic parameter Range of Motion (ROM) at 6 weeks
Time frame: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
The gait biomechanics - change from baseline in kinematic parameter knee adduction/abduction at 6 weeks
Time frame: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
Gait stability
Time frame: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Sep 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Nathan Bytheway, MEng contact
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Retro walking (backwards walking) on a treadmill in people with Osteoarthritis (OA) of the Knee, run by Anglia Ruskin University.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 9 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Hasmik J Samvelyan, PhD (+441245683738, jasmine.samvelyan@aru.ac.uk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Knee function and associated frequency and severity of pain (time frame: Baseline or Day 1 and end of study at 6 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Sep 2026.