Osteoarthritis Clinical Research Group

31/10/2025

🌟 Our team was thrilled to connect with the Lane Cove community through Lane Cove Council to share insights on how diet and exercise play a vital role in managing osteoarthritis. Empowering people with knowledge is the first step toward healthier, more active lives! 💪
Lane Cove - Community Group cove council 🥗🧘‍♀️

21/10/2025

Our clinical research team, led by Professor David Hunter, is looking for people to join the CASCADE-OA trial. The trial goes for 12-months and is testing whether a physical activity program designed for people with hip/knee osteoarthritis can help you keep active.

Participants will:
💙 Get a FREE Fitbit to keep
💙 Have access to a free physical activity program especially designed for people with knee/hip osteoarthritis
💙 Help improve our understanding of keeping active with . You may also feel improvements in your joint pain.

Visit https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/cascadeoa-study-overview to learn more about the CASCADE-OA study and check your eligibility!

The University of Sydney’s CASCADE-OA study is testing and researching a new intervention for knee osteoarthritis.

16/10/2025

Help Us Improve Pain Management Options

Are you 50+ and experiencing lower back pain or hip/knee osteoarthritis? Our colleagues at The George Institute for Global Health are looking for participants to take part in a study exploring how educational videos can support informed decisions about pain management. 🌟

Participation is entirely online, voluntary, and confidential. Your involvement could help shape better resources for people managing pain.

Interested? Click the link to learn more and see if you’re eligible to participate: bit.ly/4lCSCaO

Thank you for helping us make a difference! 💙

08/10/2025

ONLINE DEBATE

We will be joined by two absolute heavyweights in the field. On one side, Professor Kim Bennell, internationally renowned for her groundbreaking research on physiotherapy, exercise, and self-management for people living with osteoarthritis. And on the other, Professor Marius Henriksen, a leading
voice in musculoskeletal research, who has rigorously examined the role — and sometimes the limits — of exercise in osteoarthritis care.

Both bring decades of expertise, evidence, and passion to this topic. It promises to be a thought-provoking exchange — one that challenges assumptions and digs deep into whether exercise truly delivers on its promise for people with osteoarthritis.

6 to 7pm, Thursday 6 November 2025

More details and registration: www.tinyurl.com/oa-debate

08/10/2025

Over 3 million Australians live with — but most are managing it the wrong way.

This WORLD ARTHRITIS DAY, take a moment to better understand your condition — because chances are, no one’s told you what actually works. Many Australians are:

🚫 Avoiding movement when exercising is one of the best ways to reduce pain
💊 Taking opioids despite strong advice against their use for OA
💉 Paying for costly injections that don’t outperform salt water in clinical trials
🩼 Assuming surgery is inevitable, when it’s not needed for most
👀 Overlooking small diet or weight changes, despite strong evidence that they can reduce pain and load

These four free, evidence-backed resources can help you reduce pain, move more freely, and protect your long-term quality of life.

📘Read: MyOA – Guides, tools, and strategies for daily management [myoa.org.au]
🎧Listen: Joint Action Podcast – Start with Dr. Ben Darlow’s episode on self-management [https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/joint-action/id1508969582]
🎥Watch: OA Essentials Webinar – Practical tips for managing pain in just 30 minutes [vimeo.com/1105012222]
🧪Participate: OA Research Participant Network – A national registry connecting people with OA to relevant research [https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/oa-participant-network]

02/10/2025

Jet-setting for joints! ✈️ 🦴

Professor David Hunter has been on a whirlwind tour across Asia, sharing insights into osteoarthritis. From the Asian Federation of Osteoporosis Societies in Thailand to The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, his presentations on osteoarthritis management and tips publishing in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Journal are sparking global conversation 💬 ✨

02/10/2025

Exploring osteoarthritis research together - research, community & conversation ✨🔬

Lon and Karen from our team had the pleasure of spending yesterday morning with the Engadine Probus group. They shared insights into research and clinical trials which are helping shape future treatment!

14/09/2025

🏅 Huge Congratulations to Sarah! 🏃‍♀️🎉

After many early mornings, and countless kilometres, Sarah Kobayashi has officially crushed the Sydney marathon!

Your determination is truly inspiring, and we’re all so proud of you for crossing that finish line! ✌🏻👟🔥🔥

12/09/2025

Meet the people behind the Osteoarthritis Clinical Research Group 🌟

This week we sat down with Kate from our team and asked her a couple of questions. Here's what she said 🎤😊

08/09/2025

🌍 Today is World Physiotherapy Day!
Did you know that within the Osteoarthritis Research Clinical Group, we have 7 team members with a physiotherapy background? 💪

Physiotherapists play a crucial role in the management of osteoarthritis (OA). In our research group, our physios wear many hats. From witnessing first-hand the impact OA has on people’s health and well-being, they have stepped into clinical research to lead the way in prevention and management strategies.

Together with other allied health professionals and research experts, they help design and deliver high-quality, high-impact clinical trials that aim to improve the lives of people living with osteoarthritis.

✨ Today, we celebrate their contribution and the essential role of physiotherapy in prevention, management, and research.

To learn more about our fabulous team and the amazing work they do, check out our website:
https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/
Vicky Duong

03/09/2025

https://australian.physio/inmotion/knee-oa-risk-factors-across-life-span

What puts us at risk of knee osteoarthritis?

A new global systematic review and meta-analysis led by our researchers at the University of Sydney has some powerful answers, and it’s just been featured in the latest issue of InMotion, the official magazine of the Australian Physiotherapy Association 👏

Dr Vicky Duong (Kolling Institute, University of Sydney) and A/Prof Christina Abdel Shaheed (School of Public Health) conducted the largest-ever review of knee OA risk factors—drawing on data from 131 studies across 7 databases and 3 registries 🌏📚

🔍 Their key findings:
✅ Overweight/obesity, previous knee injury, and occupational physical activity (e.g. heavy manual work or >20 years of shift work) are linked to increased risk
✅ Higher bone mineral density in certain areas may also increase risk
✅ Lifestyle factors such as a Mediterranean diet, high-fibre intake, and even green tea (in men!) may lower your risk

📊 This research highlights how better preventive strategies and workplace health approaches could reduce the burden of knee OA—one of the leading causes of disability worldwide.

🙌 Big congratulations to Vicky and Christina for this important contribution to osteoarthritis research — and thank you to InMotion for helping promote their work!

📖 Read the full article in InMotion or access the study here: https://australian.physio/inmotion/knee-oa-risk-factors-across-life-span

02/09/2025

💜 Women’s Health Week is a chance to spotlight health conditions that impact women most.

Women have unique biological characteristics and social experiences that shape their health outcomes across the lifespan. From reproductive health to chronic disease risk and mental well-being, the health needs of women evolve through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and older age. These needs are further influenced by social determinants such as income, education, cultural background, and geographic location.

🔬Women are more likely than men to develop certain types of osteoarthritis, especially knee OA, due to factors like hormonal changes, joint structure, and biomechanics.

That’s why we’re part of the TOPS (The Osteoarthritis Prevention Study) trial, a world-first study testing whether diet and exercise can prevent knee osteoarthritis in women over 50 who are at risk but don’t yet have significant knee pain.

🦵 By focusing on prevention, TOPS is helping women stay active, independent, and healthy as they age.
👉 Learn more or get involved: https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/tops-study-overview
or https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/research/get-involved-in-research