UQ study to examine painful knee conditions

People with osteoarthritis of the knee or a recent knee injury are needed for a University of Queensland research project.

The project is being carried out by UQ’s Department of Physiotherapy within the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. It will investigate the nature and distribution of pain around the knee joint in both acute and chronic conditions.

UQ Physiotherapy lecturer Tina Souvlis said the data retrieved by the researchers would help in understanding and treating knee conditions.

“The information will be used to inform clinicians and develop more effective interventions for long term pain conditions such as osteoarthritis of the knee and acute knee injuries,” she said.

Ms Souvlis said the study would be one of the few projects to research the nature of knee pain.

“Whilst there have been a number of studies to investigate the mechanisms that contribute to pain few studies have actually researched the nature of pain in acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions,” she said.

Ms Souvlis said eligible participants would be required for one session lasting about 45 minutes at the Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory at The University’s St Lucia campus.

The researchers are seeking volunteers aged between 18 and 85 with painful osteoarthritis of one knee lasting greater than three months and people with a recent knee injury resulting in pain for not longer than six weeks.

“Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that can lead to joint stiffness, pain and swelling. However, acute knee injuries may result in immediate pain and inflammation and are common among people who play sports,” Ms Souvlis said.

People interested in participating in the study should contact Ms Souvlis (telephone 07 3365 1644, email: t.souvlis@shrs.uq.edu.au) or co-researcher Mellissa Maff (telephone 07 3256 0506 or mobile 0418 239 885, email: s355258@student.uq.edu.au).

Media: For more information, contact Tina Souvlis (telephone 07 3365 1644, email: t.souvlis@shrs.uq.edu.au) or Chris Saxby at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2479, email: c.saxby@uq.edu.au).