Self-applied versus therapist-applied joint movement plus exercise for knee osteoarthritis
Compares self-applied and therapist-applied joint mobilization, with exercise, in adults with knee osteoarthritis.
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Texas Woman's University
- Where
- Allen and Plano, United StatesSee the 2 sites
- Trial code
- Registry title
- Short-term and Intermediate-term Effects of Self-applied Joint Mobilization Versus Clinician-applied Joint Mobilization in Addition to Exercise in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- Status
- Not yet recruiting
- People taking part
- 24 people, planned
- Started
- 15 Jul 2025
- Expected to end
- 30 Nov 2026
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- Clinician-administered joint mobilization
- Self-administered joint mobilization
- Exercise-based physical therapy
- Record updated
- 13 June 2025
Who can take part
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for adults aged 45 or older with knee osteoarthritis who have knee pain with movement and cannot fully straighten the knee. It compares joint mobilization done by the patient with mobilization done by a physical therapist, both with exercise.
- Age
- 45 years or older
- Sex
- All sexes
- Disease stage
- Knee osteoarthritis by NICE criteria: knee pain with movement, no morning stiffness or stiffness under 30 minutes, and the knee cannot fully straighten (at least 1cm (0.4 in), measured by heel height).
- Earlier treatment
- No previous joint replacement in the legs. No surgery, injection or therapy of the lower body in the past year.
Main reasons for not taking part
- Needing a walking aid such as a cane or walker
- Body-wide disease affecting the joints, such as diabetes or rheumatic disease
- Previous joint replacement in the legs
- Lower body surgery, injection or therapy in the past year
- A compensation claim for the spine or legs (work, accident, etc)
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 13 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Meets National Institute for Health and care Excellence (NICE) criteria for knee osteoarthritis:
- Age 45 years or older
- Movement-related knee pain
- No morning stiffness or morning stiffness < 30 minutes
- Knee flexion contracture (kFC) at least 1cm, measured by heel-height
- Fluency in verbal and written English for completion of outcome measure and screening, and to take directions
- Able to attend all study-related appointments
Who cannot take part
- Previous lower extremity joint replacement
- Lower quarter surgery, injection, or therapy in the past year
- Systemic disease affecting joint function (diabetes, rheumatological disorders, etc)
- Other functionally-limiting physical impairment of the lower quarter
- Assistive device required for ambulation
- Spine or lower extremity compensation claim (work, accident, etc)
Where in United States
- Texas Health Resources Sports Medicine AllenAllen, United StatesContact: Guy L Terry, MPT, PhD(c)Not yet recruiting
- Texas Health Resources Plano Presbyterian Outpatient RehabilitationPlano, United StatesContact: Guy L Terry, MPT, PhD(c)Not yet recruiting
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a combination of patient self-administered joint mobilization and exercise works to treat knee osteoarthritis in adults. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Read full original descriptionShow less
* Does self-administered joint mobilization improve the ability to perform regular daily activities? * Does self-administered joint mobilization improve knee motion? * Does self-administered joint mobilization improve hip strength?
Researchers will compare the program of self-administered joint mobilization to a joint mobilization administered by a physical therapist.
Participants will:
* Attend 8-12 physical therapy clinic visits over 6 - 8 weeks * Perform home exercises * Visit the clinic 6 months later for a brief check-up
The 2 groups in the trial
- Clinician-administered joint mobilizationExisting treatment, for comparison
In-clinic exercise-based physical therapy, home exercise program, and clinician-administered joint mobilization.
Treatment: Clinician-administered joint mobilization and Exercise-based physical therapy
- Self-administered joint mobilizationTreatment being tested
In-clinic exercise-based physical therapy, home exercise program, and self-administered joint mobilization.
Treatment: Self-administered joint mobilization and Exercise-based physical therapy
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Short-term and Intermediate-term Effects of Self-applied Joint Mobilization Versus Clinician-applied Joint Mobilization in Addition to Exercise in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- Plain-language title
- Self-applied versus therapist-applied joint movement plus exercise for knee osteoarthritisGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
- AI summary
- From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 14 November 2026.
- Record updated
- 13 June 2025