Rehabilitation protocol with or without mobile health in overweight and obese knee osteoarthritis patients - a pilot study

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative and weight bearing joint disease that resulted from wear and tear of articular cartilage. It is more common in the overweight and obese knee OA patients. The objectives of pilot study were to assess the feasibility, acceptability and challenges of study design, study setting and tools of lower limb rehabilitation protocol among the knee OA patients who are overweight and obese. Twelve overweight and obese knee OA patients attending a Teaching Bay in the Pakistan were enrolled in the study and completed 6 training sessions over 2 weeks. The participants were divided randomly into Intervention Group with Mobile Health (IGW-mH), Intervention Group without Mobile Health (IGWO-mH) and the Control Group (CG). Both intervention groups were provided fifteen days of lower limb rehabilitation protocol but the CG did not. Two text messages per day for three days a week were sent to IGW-mH as a reminder to carry on their training session and instructions of daily care. All participants of intervention groups showed willingness to randomization and adherence to training sessions. The results indicated that eligibility criteria, recruitment rate and randomization procedures were feasible and there were no adverse events from training sessions. The participants demanded Urdu translation and pictures of lower limb rehabilitation protocol. Key words: mobile health technology, overweight, knee, osteoarthritis,