Improved gait in persons with knee related mobility limitations by a rosehip food supplement (good study): A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial

Abstract

Purpose: Knee-related mobility limitation affects a large part of the elderly population and has a profound impact on the affected individual’s ability to participate in social activities. In recent years there has been a growing interest in alternative products and many individuals - including those with knee complaints - seek such solutions. Rosehip products are sold as a nutraceutical, which is particular popular among persons with knee complaints. Biomechanical gait analysis is a method to objectively and quantitatively measure the function and usage of a joint, e.g. the knee, during functional tasks, such as walking. Gait analysis is objective and sensitive to change in mobility limitations and allow for detailed descriptions of the biomechanical function of the knee at the joint level. Thus, gait analysis may provide information about isolated changes in the function of the knee joint that is not readily available from existing self-reported outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a specialized rosehip powder nutraceutical on the biomechanical function of the knee joint during walking in subjects with knee-related walking limitations in comparison with placebo. Methods: Randomized, participant and outcome assessor blinded trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01927848). Eligible participants had to have self-reported knee-related walking limitations. Participants were randomly allocated (1:1) to receive 3 capsules/day of either Rosehip powder or identically appearing placebo capsules for 12 weeks. To assess knee joint biomechanics during walking, 3-dimensional gait analyses were used, from which change from baseline in the peak resultant knee moment was pre-specified as primary outcome. Secondary gait outcomes included changes from baseline in sagittal and frontal plane knee joint moments, knee joint kinematics, peaks in the vertical ground reaction forces, and self-selected walking speeds. According to the protocol the analyses were based on the ‘Intention-To-Treat’ population, defined as all randomized participants using baseline observation carried forward imputation for those with missing data. Analyses of covariance adjusting for the level at baseline were used to determine differences between groups (95% confidence intervals) in the changes from baseline at follow-up. Results: 100 participants were randomized to Rosehip (n=50) or placebo (n=50) and defined the ‘Intention-To-Treat’ population. Of these 94 completed the study (47 and 47, respectively). Summaries of baseline values and changes are presented in Table 1. There were statistically significant group differences in the change from baseline in the primary outcome (table 1) and in the sagittal plane moments and kinematics during the stance phase of walking (Table 1) with the Rosehip group exhibiting greater joint moments and more knee joint flexion during walking than the Placebo group following the intervention. Conclusions: A daily intake of Rosehip powder for 12 weeks significantly improved important indices of knee joint function and dynamics during walking compared to placebo in persons with knee-related walking limitations. These promising results support that biomechanical gait analysis is a sensitive instrument to capture changes in biomechanical aspects of mobility limitations. Funding: This study was supported by Orkla Health. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01927848