When we say a treatment works for knee osteoarthritis, it is worth asking: works for whom? On this week's episode of Joint Action, Professor Christian Barton unpacks the blind spots in osteoarthritis research, exploring who has and hasn't been included in the evidence base for first-line care, and what that means for the patients we treat every day.

Prof Christian Barton is a physiotherapist and implementation scientist at La Trobe University, where he leads key projects including GLA:D Australia and TREK. With additional training in communications and implementation science, his research focuses on bridging the gap between evidence and practice in osteoarthritis, knee, and running injury care. He also consults privately at Complete Physio Richmond.

RESOURCES

Journal articles

• Blind spots in reporting and representation in knee osteoarthritis research: A systematic review of the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of 22,443 participants in randomised controlled trials of first-line care
• Who is waiting to see the surgeon? sociodemographic, clinical characteristics and previous osteoarthritis care of people with knee osteoarthritis referred to public hospitals in Victoria, Australia
• Barriers and Facilitators for the Implementation of an Osteoarthritis Management Programs in a Low-Income Setting: An Exploratory Study of Malawian Physical Therapists

CONNECT WITH US

• Naia Health: https://www.naiahealth.com.au/st-leonards-hub
• Join one of our trials https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/current-trials
• Instagram: @ProfDavidHunter
• Twitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorg
• Email: hello@jointaction.info
• Website: www.jointaction.info/podcast

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Joint Action, Vicky turns the tables and puts the questions to Professor David Hunter. Three listeners submitted questions spanning gut health, total knee replacement, and the frustrating gap between what the research says and what patients are actually being told in clinic.

It's a wide-ranging, honest conversation that's relevant whether you're living with osteoarthritis, working in healthcare, or simply want to understand the science better.

RELATED EPISODES

• Season 6, Episode 26: Episode Your osteoarthritis questions answered by David (Part 2)
• Season 6, Episode 25: Episode Your osteoarthritis questions answered by David (Part 1)
• Season 5, Episode 26: Your osteoarthritis questions answered by David
• Season 2, Episode 8: A chat to David and listener questions

CONNECT WITH US

• Naia Health: https://www.naiahealth.com.au/st-leonards-hub
• Join one of our trials https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/current-trials
• Instagram: @ProfDavidHunter
• Twitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorg
• Email: hello@jointaction.info
• Website: www.jointaction.info/podcast

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The number of surgical procedures for musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis has increased exponentially over the past years, some of which are unnecessary and leave patients no better off than they were before. Knee replacement surgery can be a wonderful and cost-effective treatment for end-stage osteoarthritis but only when less invasive treatments have failed. There are many factors driving the alarming rates of increased surgery ranging from system-level factors such as inadequate reimbursement for physiotherapy treatment to personal-level factors such as individual beliefs and education of patients and their health care providers. Frequently referrals are made to surgeons as primary care doctors feel there is nothing more they can do. If you are referred it is important to be prepared for what that consultation will involve and to consider whether you truly want/ need surgery.

On this episode of Joint Action, we are joined by Dr Howard Luks to discuss this topic.

Dr. Howard Luks is a Board-Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon and Sports Medicine specialist. Howard graduated from New York Medical College and completed his Orthopaedic Surgery residency in 1996 and a fellowship in Sports Medicine at the Hospital for Joint Diseases in NYC in 1997. His focus is on injuries that involve the shoulder, knee, and elbow. He is the Chief of Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy at New York Medical College and Advanced Physician Services.

CONNECT WITH HOWARD

• Website: https://www.howardluksmd.com/
• Podcast: https://www.howardluksmd.com/podcast/the-paul-and-howard-show/

CONNECT WITH US

• Naia Health: https://www.naiahealth.com.au/st-leonards-hub
• Join one of our trials https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/current-trials
• Instagram: @ProfDavidHunter
• Email: hello@jointaction.info
• Website: www.jointaction.info/podcast

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.