Clinical trials

Lower limb amputation, often resulting from military conflict and road traffic accidents, is associated with reduced hip bone mineral density (BMD) and increased risk of hip fractures. This bone loss is attributed to altered mechanical loading and is compounded by an increased falls risk in prosthesis users. While resistance and high-impact exercise interventions have proven effective in enhancing BMD in other populations, no studies have examined their role in amputees. Building on an international Delphi consensus guidelines, this study aims to assess the feasibility and safety of a novel home-based, tele-supervised resistance and high-impact exercise intervention in individuals with unilateral transtibial limb loss. A convenience sample of 10 male prosthesis wearers from the ongoing ADVANCE Study will be involved in the study for 10 weeks and will undertake an 8-week, twice-weekly exercise program including resistance (squat, deadlift, overhead press) and impact-based activities (e.g., multidirectional jumps) (week 2 to week 9 of the study participation). Remote supervision will be provided twice weekly during the first week of exercise and once weekly thereafter. The primary outcomes are feasibility (recruitment, retention, compliance, acceptability, tolerance) and safety (adverse event monitoring). Secondary outcomes include changes in hip muscle strength and neuromuscular performance, assessed at baseline (week 1 of the study participation) and post-intervention (week 10 of the study participation) using isokinetic dynamometry, and force plates, respectively. This study will provide the first evidence on the feasibility and safety of a targeted exercise intervention to stabilise or improve BMD in unilateral transtibial amputees. Findings will inform the design of a subsequent randomised controlled trial to evaluate efficacy, with potential to shape clinical rehabilitation programmes for military and civilian amputee populations at risk of low BMD and related complications.

Pain can be one of the primary limiting factors to progress following musculoskeletal injury and may be caused by trauma or degenerative changes. There are few exercise rehabilitation interventions able to relieve pain, thereby reducing the number of military personnel fit for operations. Low load blood flow restriction (BFR) exercise has been shown to elicit an analgesic response and promote beneficial physiological changes in a variety of clinical populations. This two phase study, aims to: * Determine the most effective and feasible BFR resistance exercise protocol for reducing pain in UK military patients. * Determine the efficacy of an optimal BFR exercise protocol for reducing pain and improving rehabilitation outcomes in UK military patients. * Identify key physiological mechanisms underpinning any beneficial effect of BFR exercise on pain. Consequently, results from this study will have direct clinical application and will aid best practice guidelines for the management of pain across Defence Rehabilitation by influencing the future rehabilitation paradigm. The investigators believe the results and impact will be far reaching, providing invaluable insight and knowledge to the clinical and scientific community to not only those embedded within Defence Rehabilitaion, but also those working in civilian sector organisations and professional sport also.

Pain can be one of the primary limiting factors to progress following musculoskeletal injury and may be caused by trauma or degenerative changes. There are few exercise rehabilitation interventions able to relieve pain, thereby reducing the number of military personnel fit for operations. Low load blood flow restriction (BFR) exercise has been shown to elicit an analgesic response and promote beneficial physiological changes in a variety of clinical populations. This two phase study, aims to: * Determine the most effective and feasible BFR resistance exercise protocol for reducing pain in UK military patients. * Determine the efficacy of an optimal BFR exercise protocol for reducing pain and improving rehabilitation outcomes in UK military patients. * Identify key physiological mechanisms underpinning any beneficial effect of BFR exercise on pain. Consequently, results from this study will have direct clinical application and will aid best practice guidelines for the management of pain across Defence Rehabilitation by influencing the future rehabilitation paradigm. The investigators believe the results and impact will be far reaching, providing invaluable insight and knowledge to the clinical and scientific community to not only those embedded within Defence Rehabilitation, but also those working in civilian sector organisations and professional sport also.