Using smartphone video to measure knee movement in osteoarthritis
Official title: Using Mobile Technology to Extract Mechanical Markers of Joint Health and Function in Early Knee Osteoarthritis
Run by VA Office of Research and Development · NCT07580222 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether a smartphone video system called OpenCap can measure knee movement and mechanics in people with early knee osteoarthritis and how those measurements compare with lab motion capture, symptoms, and knee imaging.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 30 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 47 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | VA Office of Research and Development Federal |
| Locations | 1 site (Palo Alto, California) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | April 1, 2026 |
| Main results expected | September 30, 2027 |
| Study ends | March 31, 2028 |
| Registry record updated | May 12, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07580222 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults (veteran or non‑veteran) with diagnosed early knee osteoarthritis who previously participated in the specified PRP study, can provide informed consent and perform the required functional activities, have BMI ≤35 kg/m², are not pregnant, and do not have other symptomatic lower‑limb OA, joint replacement, or rheumatic disease.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with advanced knee OA (including joint replacement), symptomatic lower‑body OA elsewhere, rheumatic disease, BMI >35 kg/m², severe systemic disease (ASA ≥3), or who are pregnant are unlikely to benefit from this study's findings.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This observational study enrolls adults with early knee osteoarthritis to collect smartphone video using OpenCap during functional activities and compare the derived joint mechanics to conventional marker-based motion capture, patient-reported symptoms, and knee joint structure. OpenCap uses at least two smartphones plus machine learning and musculoskeletal modeling to estimate movement mechanics without specialized lab equipment. The study will recruit participants (veteran and non‑veteran) who previously qualified for a specified PRP study and meet standard health and BMI eligibility criteria, and will perform concurrent measurements at the VA Palo Alto site. Results will characterize OpenCap's validity in a knee OA population and inform whether the tool could be used or refined to help detect mechanical markers earlier in the disease course.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could enable low-cost, widely accessible measurement of knee mechanics to help detect and track osteoarthritis earlier and expand monitoring beyond specialized labs.
How similar studies have gone: Markerless and smartphone-based motion capture methods have shown promising accuracy in biomechanics research, but OpenCap specifically has not yet been validated in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Veteran and non-Veterans * males and females * diagnosed with early knee osteoarthritis * qualified for and participated in the Precision Assessment of Platelet Rich Plasma for Joint Preservation study (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03460236) * able and willing to provide informed consent for follow-up study Exclusion Criteria: * symptomatic OA in joints other than the knee in the lower body * joint replacement * rheumatic disease * BMI \> 35 kg/m\^2 * severe systematic disease defined as American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) 3 or above * pregnant or intending to become pregnant during the study
Where it's running
-
VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto, California, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Jade He, PhD — VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA
- Study coordinator: Jade He, PhD
- Email: Jade.He@va.gov
- Phone: (650) 493-5000
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
SVF cellular mix, secretome, and knee response in osteoarthritis
This study tests the cellular composition and secretome of research-only adipose-derived SVF in adults with knee OA who are already planned to receive an autologous SVF injection as part of their care.
-
Effect of a Resistance Exercise Program on IGF-1 Levels in Knee Osteoarthritis
A structured 8-week resistance exercise program is being tested to see if it changes blood IGF-1 levels and improves knee OA symptoms in adults with knee OA and metabolic traits.
-
2-mm subchondral drilling vs sequential 4-mm and 2-mm drilling during CARTISTEM implantation for knee cartilage defects
This study tests whether drilling the knee with a 2-mm drill alone works as well as sequential 4-mm then 2-mm drilling when combined with CARTISTEM treatment for medial knee cartilage defects.
-
Undenatured Type II Collagen for Knee Osteoarthritis Pain (Three-Arm Trial)
This study tests whether taking undenatured type II collagen capsules once daily for 4 months can reduce knee pain in adults with knee osteoarthritis, compared with two collagen formulations and a placebo.
-
Serum Fetuin‑A and COMP levels in knee osteoarthritis
This study tests whether levels of Fetuin‑A and COMP in the blood relate to how severe knee osteoarthritis is in patients compared with healthy volunteers.
-
Pain relief for knee osteoarthritis: a 2nd phase study of LY4065967 vs placebo
Researchers are testing whether LY4065967 can help reduce knee pain from osteoarthritis in adults, compared with placebo.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.