Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40200207›Full record

Observational studyBMC musculoskeletal disorders2025

Associations between knee pain and knee-loading physical activities at work and leisure - a cross-sectional study based on accelerometer measurements.

Margareta Törnblom, Emma Haglund, Ann Bremander, Anna Nilsdotter, Maria LE Andersson, Pasan Hettiarachchi, Peter J Johansson, Magnus Svartengren, Katarina Aili

Registry-linked trialAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04928170 (The Halland Osteoarthritis), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04928170 active not recruitingnot on this map

The Halland Osteoarthritis (HALLOA) Cohort Study - a Five-year Observational Longitudinal Study With Focus on Metabolic Osteoarthritis

TypeobservationalSponsorFoU Center SpenshultRan2016 to 2024Enrolled312ConditionsOsteoarthritis, Knee, Osteoarthritis Hand, Osteoarthritis Generalized
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Margareta TörnblomDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Section of Rheumatology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. margareta.tornblom@med.lu.se.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1022-3799
Emma HaglundDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Section of Rheumatology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Ann BremanderDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Section of Rheumatology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Anna NilsdotterDepartment of Orthopaedics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Maria LE AnderssonDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Section of Rheumatology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Pasan HettiarachchiDepartment of Medical Sciences, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Peter J JohanssonDepartment of Medical Sciences, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Magnus SvartengrenDepartment of Medical Sciences, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Katarina AiliSpenshult Research and Development Centre, Halmstad, Sweden.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundKnee pain is often an early sign of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Physical activities (PA) constitute the recommended regime to those affected. However, knee-loading PA at work is linked to an increased risk for KOA. The primary aim of this study was to investigate associations between knee pain and accelerometer-measured knee-loading PA, at work and leisure respectively. The secondary aim was to investigate knee-related problems in relation to self-reported physical effort at work.

methodsThis cross-sectional study included 107 working participants (aged 30-67) with knee pain. Knee pain was evaluated using the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scale (KOOS), subscale Pain. Knee-loading PA (including daily steps, time in upright position, stair walking), and sitting/lying were measured by accelerometer for one week. Each knee-loading PA was analysed separately for the measurement periods: (1) total period, (2) time at work, and (3) leisure on workdays. Knee-related problems were evaluated by the KOOS subscales Symptoms, Activities of Daily Living, Function in Sport and Recreation, and Quality of Life. Analyses were made with linear regression, and stratified by high or low self-reported physical effort at work.

resultsParticipants with more knee pain walked on average fewer steps per day, and spent less time in an upright position during leisure on workdays, unstandardized coefficient (β) = 0.001, p = 0.044, β = 0.075, p = 0.001 respectively, i.e. spent less time in knee-loading PA. The associations were stronger for those reporting high physical effort at work, β = 0.116, p = 0.016. Participants with high physical effort at work rated their (knee-related) quality of life worse. There were no associations between knee pain and knee-loading PA during work hours.

conclusionsParticipants with more knee pain were less physically active during leisure, with stronger associations among those with higher physical effort at work. Those reporting high physical effort at work had worse (knee-related) quality of life compared to participants reporting low effort at work. This highlights the importance of taking knee-loading PA at work and leisure into account when recommending exercise regimes to individuals with knee pain.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.Gov (NCT04928170), Date of registration: 2017-12-20.

Indexed as

AccelerometryArthralgiaExerciseKnee JointLeisure ActivitiesOsteoarthritis, KneeActivities of Daily LivingAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPain MeasurementQuality of LifeKnee loadKnee osteoarthritisObjective measurementPhysical activityPhysical effort at work

Identifiers

PMID40200207
PMCPMC11980322

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.