Telerehabilitation compared with unsupervised home exercise for knee osteoarthritis: study protocol for a single-centre, parallel-group randomised controlled trial
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Background Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, with increasing prevalence and high societal and economic burden. Exercise-based rehabilitation is recommended as first-line management, yet adherence to unsupervised home exercise is often low. Telerehabilitation has the potential to improve access, adherence, and clinical outcomes; however, high-quality randomised controlled trials (RCTs) directly comparing structured telerehabilitation with unsupervised exercise remain scarce. Methods This study is a single-centre, parallel-group randomised controlled trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a 3-month telerehabilitation programme compared with unsupervised home-based exercise in patients with knee OA. A total of 120 patients with radiographically confirmed knee OA (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 1–3) will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to either the telerehabilitation (TR) group or the control (unsupervised exercise, UE) group. Both groups will follow the same standardized exercise protocol, consisting of strengthening, mobility, and balance exercises performed three times per week. The TR group will additionally receive weekly remote supervision via phone or video consultations, supplemented with electronic reminders and motivational support. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07137897. Registered on 26 August 2025. Unique Protocol IdL750184 retrospectively registered.
