Effects of Tai Chi Exercises on Patients Functional Status With Knee Osteoarthritis

February 19, 2026 updated by: Grzegorz Mańko

Assessment of the Effects of Tai Chi Exercises on Balance and Functional Status in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether Tai Chi exercise, used as an adjunct to standard physiotherapy, can improve balance, functional status, pain, and knee joint mobility in older adults (65-75 years) diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis (gonarthrosis), compared with standard physiotherapy alone and physiotherapy combined with virtual reality-based training.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does adding Tai Chi to standard physiotherapy lead to greater improvements in static and dynamic balance (Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go test) in patients with knee osteoarthritis?

Does Tai Chi result in superior improvements in pain intensity (VAS), functional status (WOMAC), and knee joint range of motion compared with standard physiotherapy and VR-based training?

Researchers will compare three intervention arms-standard physiotherapy, standard physiotherapy plus virtual reality (Kinect-based biofeedback training), and standard physiotherapy plus Tai Chi-to determine whether Tai Chi provides greater clinical and functional benefits than the other rehabilitation approaches.

Participants will:

Receive standard inpatient physiotherapy for knee osteoarthritis

Additionally perform one of the following interventions for 30 minutes daily over 4 weeks:

Tai Chi exercises led by a qualified therapist, focusing on balance, controlled movement, and pain-free execution

Virtual reality-based balance training using a Kinect system

Undergo assessments before and after the intervention period, including pain, balance, functional performance, and knee joint mobility measures

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
96

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Poland
      • Krakow, Poland, 31-066
        • Department of Biomechanics and Kinesiology, Institute of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosed knee osteoarthritis
  • Age between 60 and 80 years

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with significant knee joint effusion and excessive valgus or varus deformity of the knee joint
  • Post-surgical status
  • Patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 34
  • Patients after knee joint surgery
  • Patients with severe clinically significant comorbidities that could interfere with study outcomes
  • Lack of patient consent to participate in the study, as well as non-compliance or diagnosed psychiatric disorders
  • History of stroke and other neurological disorders

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Standard Physiotherapy Combined with Tai Chi Balance Training
Other: Tai Chi training
In addition to standard therapy, instead of balance training, the participant performed Tai Chi exercises daily for 30 minutes under the supervision of a qualified therapist. The Tai Chi sessions emphasized balance in a variety of positions engaging the knee joint; the exercises were performed in smooth sequences combined with deep breathing. During the sessions, particular attention was paid to movement quality and the absence of pain during movement.
Active Comparator: Inpatient Physiotherapy with Manual Therapy, Physical Modalities, and Conventional Balance Training
Other: Comprehensive Inpatient Physiotherapy with other standard therapies
who, as part of inpatient physiotherapy, underwent a comprehensive treatment program consisting of: manual therapy-20 minutes daily, including soft tissue techniques and mobilization of the knee joint-and physical therapy modalities including electrotherapy, laser therapy, magnetotherapy, and ultrasound therapy. The patients also performed balance-supporting exercises in the form of balance training, which included: balancing on sensorimotor cushions for 10 minutes in various directions, resistance exercises-leg press on a machine for 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions, semi-squats on sensorimotor cushions for 3 sets of 20 repetitions, and core stability exercises in the supine position for 10 minutes.
Active Comparator: Standard Physiotherapy Combined with Kinect-Based Virtual Reality Balance Training
Other: Kinect-Based Virtual Reality Balance Training with Biofeedback
where, in addition to standard therapy, instead of conventional balance training, the group additionally received exercises using a Kinect-based system on the iStander device (Alreh Medical, Łódź, Poland), which enables safe and engaging therapy in a controlled virtual environment with the use of biofeedback. The exercises were delivered in the form of game-based activities for 30 minutes daily at a moderate level of difficulty.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Total score on the Berg Balance Scale.
Time Frame: Baseline; Day 1 (09 May 2025) Final assessment: after 4 weeks (06 June 2025)
Assessment of static and dynamic balance using a 14-item scale. The unit of measurement is points (range 0-56), where a higher score indicates better balance.
Baseline; Day 1 (09 May 2025) Final assessment: after 4 weeks (06 June 2025)
Score on the WOMAC questionnaire (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index).
Time Frame: Baseline; Day 1 (09 May 2025) Final assessment: after 4 weeks (06 June 2025)
Assessment of the severity of osteoarthritis symptoms (pain, stiffness, and physical function). The unit of measurement is points (sum of 24 items), where a higher score indicates poorer functional status and greater pain.
Baseline; Day 1 (09 May 2025) Final assessment: after 4 weeks (06 June 2025)
Time to complete the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test.
Time Frame: Baseline; Day 1 (09 May 2025) Final assessment: after 4 weeks (06 June 2025)
Assessment of functional mobility and fall risk. The unit of measurement is time in seconds required to stand up from a chair, walk 3 meters, turn around, return, and sit down again.
Baseline; Day 1 (09 May 2025) Final assessment: after 4 weeks (06 June 2025)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Grzegorz Mańko

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Grzegorz Mańko, PhD, Department of Biomechanics and Kinesiology, Institute of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 9, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 13, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 13, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 4, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 19, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 23, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 23, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 19, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 118.0043.1.208.2025

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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