Elizabeth Wellsandt, DPT, PhD, is the UNMC Site Principal Investigator on a new grant, “Knee Arthroplasty Activity Trial (KArAT),” to assess whether personalized guidance from a health coach coupled with financial rewards can effectively increase physical activity post-total knee replacement. The study is funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases from March 2024 to August 2027.
Total knee replacement (TKR) is used widely to alleviate pain and improve function for people with advanced knee osteoarthritis. Almost 800,000 TKRs are performed annually in the U.S., and most individuals report satisfaction with the procedure and improvements in pain and function; however, most TKR recipients do not increase their physical activity levels post-surgery, even as pain and function improve. As greater physical activity can lead to further decreases in pain, lower risk of common chronic diseases, and an improvement in quality of life, it is critical to find ways to help TKR recipients become more active post-surgery.
KArAT is led by Elena Losina, Ph.D., MSc, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, alongside a team of investigators from Mass General Brigham, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Northwestern University, the University at Buffalo, and the University of Kansas. Dr. Wellsandt is the lead of the UNMC site in collaboration with Drs. Christopher Deans, Kevin Garvin, Curtis Hartman, Beau Kildown, and Beau Konigsberg in the UNMC Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Enrollment began during Spring 2023. For further information, please see the NIH grant abstract.