Trial results for a study investigating preoperative exercises using blood-flow restriction training (BFRT) in individuals awaiting total knee replacement for Knee Osteoarthritis were posted on 2026-03-24, detailing quadriceps muscle strength and leg muscle fat mass measurements from 16 participants.
Background
Knee osteoarthritis is a common condition often leading to total knee replacement (TKR) surgery. Preoperative exercise, or pre-habilitation, is a strategy aimed at improving patient outcomes before surgery. Blood-flow restriction training (BFRT) is a method of exercise that involves restricting blood flow to the limbs during low-intensity training. This study aimed to assess if preoperative BFRT is safe, well tolerated, improves muscle function, decreases functional limitation, and increases physical activity in older adults awaiting TKR.
Trial design
This completed study, identified as Phase NA, enrolled 16 participants with Knee Osteoarthritis. The trial investigated preoperative exercises (pre-habilitation) using blood-flow restriction training (BFRT) in individuals awaiting total knee replacement. The study's primary outcomes were not specified in the posted results.
Key results
The trial results provide measurements for quadriceps muscle strength and leg muscles percentage of fat mass in the preoperative exercises group:
- Quadriceps Muscle Strength measurements (in torque newton-meter) for the Preoperative Exercises group were: 86.15 (Standard Deviation 28.39), 76.55 (Standard Deviation 37.23), 91.03 (Standard Deviation 29.13), 80.32 (Standard Deviation 36.94), 85.24 (Standard Deviation 20.86), and 55.49 (Standard Deviation 17.57).
- Leg Muscles Percentage of Fat Mass measurements for the Preoperative Exercises group were: 47.88 (Standard Deviation 3.42), 47.28 (Standard Deviation 3.31), 46.64 (Standard Deviation 7.27), 45.94 (Standard Deviation 7.53), 47.00 (Standard Deviation 6.92), and 47.03 (Standard Deviation 6.90).
What this means
The posted results provide descriptive data on quadriceps muscle strength and leg muscle fat mass in a small cohort of 16 individuals with knee osteoarthritis who underwent preoperative blood flow restriction training before total knee replacement. These measurements offer insights into the physiological status of participants following the intervention. Given the nature of the reported data, these findings contribute to the understanding of the effects of BFRT as a pre-habilitation strategy, though further research with comparative arms and defined endpoints would be needed to establish efficacy.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT06111690, titled "Blood Flow Restriction Training in Individuals Awaiting Total Knee Replacement", were posted on 2026-03-24 on clinicaltrials.gov.