{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,12]],"date-time":"2025-10-12T01:51:05Z","timestamp":1760233865794,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,1]],"date-time":"2021-03-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1614556800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["MPs"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Physical activity and low-level laser therapy (LLLT) can reduce knee osteoarthritis (KOA) inflammation. We are conducting a randomized placebo-controlled trial to investigate the long-term effectiveness of LLLT combined with strength training (ST) in persons with KOA, since it, to our knowledge, has not been investigated before. Fifty participants were enrolled. LLLT and ST was performed 3 times per week over 3 and 8 weeks, respectively. In the LLLT group, 3 Joules of 904 nm wavelength laser was applied to 15 spots per knee (45 Joules\/knee\/session). The primary outcomes are pain during movement, at night and at rest (Visual Analogue Scale) and global pain (Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, KOOS) pain subscale. The secondary outcomes are KOOS disability and quality-of-life, analgesic usage, global health change, knee active range of motion, 30 s chair stand, maximum painless isometric knee extension strength, knee pain pressure threshold and real-time ultrasonography-assessed suprapatellar effusion, meniscal neovascularization and femur cartilage thickness. All the outcomes are assessed 0, 3, 8, 26 and 52 weeks post-randomization, except for global health change, which is only evaluated at completed ST. This study features the blinding of participants, assessors and therapists, and will improve our understanding of what occurs with the local pathophysiology, tissue morphology and clinical status of persons with KOA up to a year after the initiation of ST and a higher 904 nm LLLT dose than in any published trial on this topic.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/mps4010019","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,1]],"date-time":"2021-03-01T10:25:18Z","timestamp":1614594318000},"page":"19","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Effectiveness of Low-Level Laser Therapy Associated with Strength Training in Knee Osteoarthritis: Protocol for a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"4","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9869-0705","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Martin Bj\u00f8rn","family":"Stausholm","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, 5009 Bergen, Norway"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3619-4578","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ingvill Fjell","family":"Naterstad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, 5009 Bergen, Norway"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1648-5746","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christian","family":"Coupp\u00e9","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical and Occupational Therapy Research Unit, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg University Hospital, 2400 Copenhagen, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kjartan Vibe","family":"Fersum","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, 5009 Bergen, Norway"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ernesto Cesar Pinto","family":"Leal-Junior","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, 5009 Bergen, Norway"},{"name":"Laboratory of Phototherapy and Innovative Technologies in Health, Post-Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Nove de Julho University, S\u00e3o Paulo 01504-001, Brazil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rodrigo \u00c1lvaro Brand\u00e3o","family":"Lopes-Martins","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical de Pesquisa &amp; Desenvolvimento, Universidade do Vale do Para\u00edba, S\u00e3o Jos\u00e9 dos Campos 12244-390, Brazil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jan Magnus","family":"Bjordal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, 5009 Bergen, Norway"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jon","family":"Joensen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, 5009 Bergen, Norway"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"205","article-title":"Knee osteoarthritis prevalence, risk factors, pathogenesis and features\u2014Part 1","volume":"2","author":"Heidari","year":"2011","journal-title":"Casp. 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