TY - JOUR

T1 - Effectiveness of low-level laser therapy associated with strength training in knee osteoarthritis

T2 - Protocol for a randomized placebo-controlled trial

AU - Stausholm, Martin Bjørn

AU - Naterstad, Ingvill Fjell

AU - Couppé, Christian

AU - Fersum, Kjartan Vibe

AU - Leal-Junior, Ernesto Cesar Pinto

AU - Lopes-Martins, Rodrigo Álvaro Brandão

AU - Bjordal, Jan Magnus

AU - Joensen, Jon

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Physical activity and low-level laser therapy (LLLT) can reduce knee osteoarthritis (KOA) inflammation. We are conducting a randomized placebo-controlled trial to investigate the long-term effectiveness of LLLT combined with strength training (ST) in persons with KOA, since it, to our knowledge, has not been investigated before. Fifty participants were enrolled. LLLT and ST was performed 3 times per week over 3 and 8 weeks, respectively. In the LLLT group, 3 Joules of 904 nm wavelength laser was applied to 15 spots per knee (45 Joules/knee/session). The primary outcomes are pain during movement, at night and at rest (Visual Analogue Scale) and global pain (Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, KOOS) pain subscale. The secondary outcomes are KOOS disability and quality-of-life, analgesic usage, global health change, knee active range of motion, 30 s chair stand, maximum painless isometric knee extension strength, knee pain pressure threshold and real-time ultrasonography-assessed suprapatellar effusion, meniscal neovascularization and femur cartilage thickness. All the outcomes are assessed 0, 3, 8, 26 and 52 weeks post-randomization, except for global health change, which is only evaluated at completed ST. This study features the blinding of participants, assessors and therapists, and will improve our understanding of what occurs with the local pathophysiology, tissue morphology and clinical status of persons with KOA up to a year after the initiation of ST and a higher 904 nm LLLT dose than in any published trial on this topic.

AB - Physical activity and low-level laser therapy (LLLT) can reduce knee osteoarthritis (KOA) inflammation. We are conducting a randomized placebo-controlled trial to investigate the long-term effectiveness of LLLT combined with strength training (ST) in persons with KOA, since it, to our knowledge, has not been investigated before. Fifty participants were enrolled. LLLT and ST was performed 3 times per week over 3 and 8 weeks, respectively. In the LLLT group, 3 Joules of 904 nm wavelength laser was applied to 15 spots per knee (45 Joules/knee/session). The primary outcomes are pain during movement, at night and at rest (Visual Analogue Scale) and global pain (Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, KOOS) pain subscale. The secondary outcomes are KOOS disability and quality-of-life, analgesic usage, global health change, knee active range of motion, 30 s chair stand, maximum painless isometric knee extension strength, knee pain pressure threshold and real-time ultrasonography-assessed suprapatellar effusion, meniscal neovascularization and femur cartilage thickness. All the outcomes are assessed 0, 3, 8, 26 and 52 weeks post-randomization, except for global health change, which is only evaluated at completed ST. This study features the blinding of participants, assessors and therapists, and will improve our understanding of what occurs with the local pathophysiology, tissue morphology and clinical status of persons with KOA up to a year after the initiation of ST and a higher 904 nm LLLT dose than in any published trial on this topic.

KW - Inflammation, knee osteoarthritis

KW - LLLT

KW - Low-level laser therapy

KW - Strength training

U2 - 10.3390/MPS4010019

DO - 10.3390/MPS4010019

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85102945905

VL - 4

JO - Methods and Protocols

JF - Methods and Protocols

SN - 2409-9279

IS - 1

M1 - 19

ER -