Preventing Knee Osteoarthritis: What Randomized Trials Have Actually Tested

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who work with adults at risk for knee osteoarthritis, including clients with overweight or obesity, prior knee injury, or lower limb weakness, and who want to know what the randomized evidence on prevention currently shows.

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in outpatient orthopedics, community wellness, and primary care settings.

Intended audience

Physical Therapy

Level

Introductory

Delivery format

Online, asynchronous, self-paced course: interactive reading with audio or video, and a scored post-test.

Based on

This course is based entirely on the following open-access systematic review:

Almeida Silva HJ, Ferrari AV, Perea J, Wolden M, Dantas G, Salvini TF, de Campos TF. Intervention Strategies for Preventing Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review. JOSPT Open. 2026;4(3):264-275. Epub 25 March 2026. doi:10.2519/josptopen.2026.0155

Published by JOSPT Inc. d/b/a Movement Science Media under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. The review was registered with PROSPERO (registration number CRD42023391750).

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Describe the population, interventions, and outcomes the review authors set out to examine when they searched for randomized trials on knee osteoarthritis prevention.
2. State what the review found for the self-management lifestyle program and for the diet and exercise, glucosamine, and injection strategies.
3. Explain the main limitations the authors identified and the cautions they attached to their conclusions.

1. Start Here: How This Course Works
2. Audio Lesson: Prevention of Knee Osteoarthritis (about nine minutes)
3. Why Prevention, and What the Authors Set Out to Find
4. How the Review Was Built: Searching, Screening, and Judging Quality
5. What the Three Trials Showed
6. Where the Evidence Falls Short
7. What This Could Mean in Practice, and What Is Coming Next
8. Key Takeaways
9. Post-Test and Course Evaluation

Quinn Millington, PT, DPT, ECS is the instructor of record: the licensed clinician who reviewed this course and signed off on it. The name and credentials print on the certificate.

Disclosures. This course was developed by The ConEd Solution, which has a financial interest in its sale. No outside funding or sponsorship was received. The instructor of record has no affiliation with the authors of the source publication or their institutions.

This course awards 0.5 contact hours (30 min). How you earn them:

1. Complete the course. Every lesson, in order.
2. Pass the post-test. Score 80% or higher. Retakes are allowed.
3. Complete the evaluation. A short form rating each learning objective and the course.
4. Download your certificate. It is issued on completion and stays available in My Account.

The episode time is its measured length. Reading, post-test and evaluation times are estimates.

This course is designed to satisfy the quality requirements state boards set for continuing education. Requirements vary by state, and confirming that a course fits your renewal is up to you. Each state’s own acceptance statement is in the credit panel on this page.

1. This course is based entirely on the following open-access systematic review:
2. Almeida Silva HJ, Ferrari AV, Perea J, Wolden M, Dantas G, Salvini TF, de Campos TF. Intervention Strategies for Preventing Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review. JOSPT Open. 2026;4(3):264-275. Epub 25 March 2026. doi:10.2519/josptopen.2026.0155
3. Published by JOSPT Inc. d/b/a Movement Science Media under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. The review was registered with PROSPERO (registration number CRD42023391750).