SLU Researchers Begin Enrolling Participants in a Knee Pain Study

Study investigates the progression of osteoarthritis from one to two knees 

St. Louis, MO — Osteoarthritis (OA) affects one in eight adults and is the leading cause of chronic pain and disability. Knee OA is particularly prevalent and accounts for 83% of the total burden of OA. In many cases, knee OA begins in only one knee. Emerging research shows that nearly every person with OA in one knee will develop the disease in their other knee within 10 years. 

People with bilateral knee OA have greater functional decline, worse pain, lower quality of life, and higher health care costs. The chances of needing knee replacements may also increase, according to a Saint Louis University physical therapist who studies biomechanics. 

The Orthopedic Biomechanics and Imaging Team at SLU, which is led by Patrick Corrigan, PT, DPT, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, is evaluating why knee OA commonly progresses from a unilateral (one side) to a bilateral (two sides) disease. 

Corrigan and his team at SLU will enroll a cohort of 30 healthy individuals and 30 individuals who are experiencing chronic pain in one knee for a study funded by the Rheumatology Research Foundation and Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy. Participants must be 45 years of age or older. Participation in the study may include up to four visits in a two-week period. Each visit lasts approximately 1.5 hours.

The study will look at knee loading, or the forces going through the knee joints, during walking.

“Specifically, we’re studying whether pain in one knee influences how the other knee is loaded during different types of walking and if knee pain alters walking in a way that makes osteoarthritis more probable in the other knee,” Corrigan said.

Knee pain may speed up the progression from unilateral to bilateral knee OA if it influences knee joint loads during walking. Researchers say those with unilateral knee OA seem to unload their arthritic knee while walking. Although unloading the arthritic knee likely relieves pain, it may shift load to the opposite knee and increase the risk of bilateral knee OA. However, the relationship between unilateral knee pain knee joint loading in the opposite knee while walking remains largely understudied. 

Because walking is commonly recommended for managing symptoms of knee OA, researchers say it is important to evaluate the effects of unilateral knee pain on the other knee during walking. Moreover, since walking mechanics are constantly changing with speed, gradient, and fatigue, it is critical to capture the effect of pain on loading during various types of walking.

Corrigan is the principal investigator of the study working in collaboration with physicians at SLU as well as researchers at Northeastern University, Boston University, University of South Florida, and East Carolina University.

If you are interested in participating, you can be screened online using this link or by emailing Corrigan at Patrick.Corrigan@health.slu.edu.

About SLU’s Edward and Margaret Doisy College of Health Sciences

The Doisy College of Health Sciences has provided students with the tools and education to become well-prepared healthcare professionals since 1929. The Doisy College of Health Sciences offers healthcare education at the baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral and professional levels in a variety of health-related fields.

About Saint Louis University

Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 13,500 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University’s diverse community of scholars is SLU’s service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place. For more information, visit slu.edu.