Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Knee osteoarthritis is a painful and disabling disease that places significant burden on the individual and health care system, alike. Typically, treatment involves pharmacology or total joint replacement which is costly and is associated with a significant risk of side effects. However, conservative treatments, including altering how someone walks, has shown potential to favourably alter joint loading (a factor associated with disease progression) and clinical outcomes like pain. What this previous work has not done, is investigate how walking alterations are performed outside of the lab or clinical environment, and throughout one's daily routine. Therefore, my research will focus on using emerging technology in the form of wearable sensors to examine how people with knee osteoarthritis walk in the real-world, how they retain gait modifications over time, and how these technologies could be used in clinical settings. By investigating these topics, we can improve the delivery, retention and adherence of this simple and cost effective treatment approach.