Projects we’re supporting

• Hope4OA: a knee osteoarthritis clinical trial
• Exercise-therapy and education for knee osteoarthritis: a randomised clinical trial
• Centre of Research Excellence in Translational Research in Musculoskeletal Pain
• Centre for Research Excellence in Total Joint Replacement – OPUS
• Centre of Research Excellence – Australian and New Zealand Musculoskeletal Clinical Trials Network
• Telecare study

Hope4OA: a knee osteoarthritis clinical trial

Recruiting for the second half of this phase 3 trial will start in May 2024, however you can register your interest now.

If you have chronic knee pain or have been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis (OA), you may be interested in participating in a new clinical research study. The study is for an investigational injectable medication for chronic knee pain due to OA. If you qualify and choose to join the study, you will receive:

• Evaluations of your knee osteoarthritis from a local physician.
• Study-related care and study medication at no cost. Health insurance is not required.
• Compensation to attend periodic visits at your study doctor’s office for treatment and follow-up over a 6 to 7-month period.
• The opportunity to help advance knee osteoarthritis research, which may benefit other knee pain sufferers in the future.

Sponsoring Company: Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. https://paradigmbiopharma.com

Project timeline: 2022-2025

Find out more

Exercise-therapy and education for knee osteoarthritis: a randomised clinical trial

Recruiting now

Do you have knee pain and are over the age of 45?

You might be eligible for this study which focuses on implementing the most up to date research for the treatment of knee arthritis.

What you get:

• access to the GLA:D TM Australia program over 8 weeks.

What’s involved:

• 2 education sessions
• 12 neuromuscular exercise sessions (1 hour each).

To be eligible for this study you should have:

• Activity-related knee joint pain
• Either no morning knee joint stiffness or stiffness that lasts no longer than 30 minutes
• Access to the internet (baseline testing) and have basic computer skills or have a support person who can facilitate.

If you are interested in participating in the trial and would like to know more about this exciting project please contact: Zuzana Machotka.

**Those who have a history of knee joint replacement, had physiotherapy treatment in the previous six months or have an impairment that would impact on your ability to participate in an exercise program (GLA:D TM Australia) may not apply.

Find out more:

• GLAD study promotional flyer
• Participant information statement
• GLAD Australia clinics for clinical trial

Centre of Research Excellence in Translational Research in Musculoskeletal Pain

Chief investigators: Prof Kim Bennell, Prof David Hunter, Prof Paul Hodges, Prof Rachelle Buchbinder, A/Prof Marie Pirotta, Prof Rana Hinman, Prof Anthony Harris, Prof Nadine Foster, Prof Susan Michie, Prof Bill Vicenzino

Administering institution: The University of Melbourne

Project timeline: 2015-2019

More about the project…

Musculoskeletal disorders are a National Health Priority and one of the most expensive disease groups in Australia. Osteoarthritis (OA) and low back pain (LBP) are two of the biggest musculoskeletal contributors to this burden and affect nearly 2 and 3 million Australians respectively with projected increases of 58% and 31% by 2032. Total costs are estimated at $3.75 billion per annum for low back pain and $4.79 billion for osteoarthritis.

Yet despite the high burden, care for people with osteoarthritis and low back pain is suboptimal, both in Australia and internationally. This CRE will conduct research into the effectiveness of innovative models of care for OA and LBP to address the gap in care. Along with the research the CRE will also provide a coordinated multidisciplinary approach to the problem and a more structured framework for training and mentoring researchers on implementation research.

For more information visit https://www.cremusctranslation.com

Centre for Research Excellence in Total Joint Replacement – OPUS

Chief investigators: Prof Peter Choong, Prof Philip Clark, Prof Anthony Scott, Prof Peter O’Sullivan, Prof Jane Gunn, Prof Nicholas Taylor, A/Prof Michelle Dowsey, Dr Trisha Peel, Prof Anne Smith, Dr Tim Spelman
Administering institution: University of Melbourne
Project timeline: 2017-2022

More about the project…

Is surgery appropriate for me? Is it worth it? What other options do I have?

Total joint replacement is a revolutionary treatment for people with severe OA, but operative costs, increasing demand and post-operation dissatisfaction is unsustainable within Australia. Our health system needs to appropriately balance the needs of patients with those of the health care economy.

OPUS is a Centre for Research Excellence that uses evidence-based research to revolutionise osteoarthritis care for better patient outcomes. We want to help people with OA ask the right questions, and open a dialogue with health professionals to understand the best care that is right for them.

OPUS is working towards its mission by focusing on five streams that have been designed to improve and streamline the OA journey. This is a more personalised approach to produce better patient outcomes rather than a ‘one size fits all’ management program for all people with OA.

The aims of the five OPUS streams are:

1. Developing a tool to identify the most appropriate OA patients for TJR.
2. Identifying patient and surgeon perceptions of risk and decision-making.
3. Developing non-surgical alternatives for OA patients.
4. Redesigning a recovery program for TJR.
5. Identifying cost efficiencies and eliminating waste in the patient OA journey.

For more information about OPUS and our Consumer and Community Involvement program, please visit: https://opus-tjr.org.au/programs/consumer-community-involvement-program/

Centre of Research Excellence – Australian and New Zealand Musculoskeletal Clinical Trials Network

Chief investigators: Prof Rachelle Buchbinder, Prof Christopher Maher, Prof Lyn March, Prof Richard Day, Prof Rana Hinman, Prof Ian Harris, Prof Manuela Ferreira, Prof Paul Glasziou, Prof Sally Green, Prof Laurent Billot

Administering institution: Monash Institute

Project timeline: 2018-2023

More about the project…

The Australia & New Zealand Musculoskeletal (ANZMUSC) Clinical Trials Network CRE is a collaboration of clinical researchers, health professionals and consumers who are working to improve the evidence base of musculoskeletal health through the conduct of high quality, multi-centre randomised controlled trials and related research.

The aims of the ANZMUSC CRE are to:

• facilitate and support good quality clinical research which can improve the health and quality fo life of people living with these conditons
• improve the scientific quality of MSK research and its translation into policy and practice;
• foster collaboration between research groups and stakeholders
• build capacity of MSK researchers through mentoring and education

For more Information visit http://anzmusc.org/

Telecare study

Chief investigator: Prof Rana Hinman, Prof Kim Bennell, Penny Campbell, Belinda Lawford (PhD student)

Institution: The University of Melbourne

Project timeline: 2014-2019

More about the project…..

Knee osteoarthritis is a major problem in Australia, and helping people to self-manage the condition is an important aim of treatment. Unfortunately, not all Australians with knee osteoarthritis have easy access to health professionals who can advise them how to self-manage their knee osteoarthritis. One way to potentially improve access to healthcare is to provide self-management advice by qualified health professionals, who are specially trained in the management of arthritis, over the telephone.

Telecare is a randomised trial that will compare two different forms of telephone-delivered support and advice for people with painful knee osteoarthritis to find out which one works best for managing arthritis symptoms, and why. Both groups in this study will receive support and advice for the self-management of their knee osteoarthritis over the telephone for a period of six months. Advice will be delivered by qualified health professionals trained in best-practice management of arthritis.