Blood Flow Restricted Walking in Elderly Individuals with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Feasibility Study

To investigate whether blood flow restricted walking exercise is feasible in patients with knee osteoarthritis, and 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 min/session, 4 times/week) with partial blood flow restriction applied to the affected leg. Adherence, dropouts and adverse events were registered. Timed Up and Go test, 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 5 participants withdrew (4 due to intervention-related reasons). In non-completing participants baseline body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.05) and knee pain (p = 0.06) were higher, while gait performance (p = 0.04) was lower. Considering completed case data, the training-adherence rate was 93%, while mean knee pain in the affected leg was 0.7 on a numerical rating scale of 0-10. Functional performance improved, while self-reported function remained unchanged.

Blood flow restricted walking exercise appeared feasible in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Participants who completed the intervention protocol demonstrated improvements in functional performance, with no changes in self-reported function.