Blood flow restricted walking in elderly individuals with knee osteoarthritis: a feasibility study

To investigate if blood flow restricted walking exercise is feasible in patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis, and secondly to examine changes in functional performance and self-reported function. Feasibility study. Fourteen elderly individuals diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis participated in 8-10 weeks of outdoor walking (4 km/h, 20 minutes/session, 4 times/week) with partial blood flow restriction applied to the affected leg. Adherence, drop-outs and adverse events were registered. Timed-Up&Go, 30-s sit-to-stand performance, 40-m fast-paced walk speed, stair-climbing and Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Score were assessed pre- and post-training. Nine participants completed the intervention, while five participants withdrew of which four experienced cuff discomfort or exacerbated knee pain. Baseline BMI (p=0.05) and knee pain (p=0.06) were higher while gait performance (p=0.04) was reduced in non-completing participants. Considering completed case data, training-adherence rate was 93%, while mean knee pain in the affected leg was 0.7 on a numerical rating scale from 0-10. Functional performance improved, while self-reported function remained unchanged. Blood flow restricted walking exercise appeared feasible in patients with knee osteoarthritis although possibly affected by participants' baseline characteristics. Participants who completed the intervention protocol demonstrated improvements in functional performance, without any changes in self-reported function.