Joint Action

On this week's episode of Joint Action, learn more about how knee braces work, who they help and how they can improve pain and function for people with knee osteoarthritis. Melanie Holden is a Chartered Physiotherapist and the Professor of Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation at the School of Medicine at Keele University. Her current research focuses on how to best manage musculoskeletal pain through rehabilitation using non-drug, non-surgical treatments.Her mission is to create high-quality, innovative research that improves patient care. She is an expert in a wide range of research methods, and she involves patients and the public at every stage of her research, to ensure that it reflects real-world needs and experiences.RESOURCESJournal articleProvision of knee bracing for knee osteoarthritis (PROP OA): multicentre, parallel group, superiority, statistician blinded, randomised controlled trialCONNECT WITH USNaia Health: https://www.naiahealth.com.au/st-leonards-hubJoin one of our trials https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/current-trialsInstagram: @ProfDavidHunterTwitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorgEmail: [email protected]: www.jointaction.info/podcastIf you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Knee osteoarthritis doesn’t just affect joints—it can limit people’s ability to participate fully in work and daily life, shaping their long‑term wellbeing and productivity. In this week's episode of Joint Action we are joined by Jason Jin and Ilana Ackerman to explore how knee osteoarthritis influences workforce participation.Dr Xingzhong (Jason) Jin is a conjoint research fellow at UNSW and the managing director of Precision Statistics Medtech Consulting. He is a musculoskeletal epidemiologist and health data scientist with a desire to bridge the gap between research and real-world healthcare impacts. Professor Ilana Ackerman is a Research Professor at the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University and Deputy Director of the Musculoskeletal Health Unit. She is a musculoskeletal epidemiologist and an experienced orthopaedic physiotherapist and has led an important program of clinical and population-based research designed to quantify the personal and societal burden of hip and knee osteoarthritis, forecast trends in arthritis and joint replacement surgery, and evaluate the outcomes of joint replacement. She has also been involved in the development of multiple policy and guideline initiatives for osteoarthritis.RESOURCESJournal articlesLoss of Productivity-Adjusted Life-Years in Working-Age Australians Due to Knee Osteoarthritis: A Life-Table Modeling ApproachCONNECT WITH USNaia Health: https://www.naiahealth.com.au/st-leonards-hubJoin one of our trials https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/current-trialsInstagram: @ProfDavidHunterTwitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorgEmail: [email protected]: www.jointaction.info/podcastIf you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why does a bad night’s sleep make everything hurt more? On this week's episode of Joint Action, we are joined by A/Prof Michelle Hall to explore the cycle between sleep and pain and some practical strategies to help regain both rest and relief.Michelle Hall is an Associate Professor within Sydney Musculoskeletal Health and the School of Health Sciences at the University of Sydney. A leading expert in hip and knee osteoarthritis, Michelle's research focuses on lifestyle strategies-including exercise, sleep, and bracing-to reduce pain and improve quality of life. Her work has produced more than 120 peer-reviewed publications, and she currently leads multi-site clinical trials across Australia and the United States. RESOURCESThisWayUp - Online Mental Health TreatmentCONNECT WITH USNaia Health: https://www.naiahealth.com.au/st-leonards-hubJoin one of our trials https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/current-trialsInstagram: @ProfDavidHunterTwitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorgEmail: [email protected]: www.jointaction.info/podcastIf you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hear from the co-editors-in-chief of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage journal on what they thought were the latest advances in osteoarthritis research in 2025.Anne-Marie Malfait, MD, PhD, is Professor of Medicine and the Klaus E. Kuettner, Chair of Osteoarthritis Research at Rush University. She is co-Editor-in-Chief of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage journal alongside David Hunter.RESOURCESDavid's papers Comparative efficacy and safety of exercise modalities in knee osteoarthritis: systematic review and network meta-analysis Clinical and cost-effectiveness of a cycling and education intervention versus usual physiotherapy care for the treatment of hip osteoarthritis in the UK (CLEAT): a pragmatic, randomised, controlled trial The Cost-Effectiveness of Semaglutide and Tirzepatide for Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis and ObesityAnne-Marie's paperFM-dye inhibition of Piezo2 relieves mechanically evoked pain in mouse models of acute inflammatory and osteoarthritic knee painAssociation of Synovial Innate Immune Exhaustion With Worse Pain in Knee OsteoarthritisLipidomics unravels lipid changes in osteoarthritis articular cartilageCONNECT WITH USJoin one of our trials https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/current-trialsInstagram: @ProfDavidHunterTwitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorgEmail: [email protected]: www.jointaction.info/podcastIf you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tai Chi is a gentle, low-impact exercise that combines slow, controlled movements with balance and mindfulness. In this week’s episode of Joint Action, we are joined by Julia Zhu to discuss the evidence behind Tai Chi and its benefits for people living with knee osteoarthritis.Julia Zhu is a physiotherapist and PhD student at the Centre for Health, Exercise & Sports Medicine at the University of Melbourne. She recently submitted her PhD, which focused on developing and evaluating a self-directed online intervention for people with osteoarthritis in a clinical trial, where she developed the RETREAT trial that investigated at the effects of an online Tai Chi program. She has an interest in bridging the gap between research and practice and to drive impact with innovation.RESOURCESMyJoint Tai Chi websiteOnline Unsupervised Tai Chi Intervention for Knee Pain and Function in People With Knee OsteoarthritisThe RETREAT Randomized Clinical TrialCONNECT WITH USJoin one of our trials https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/current-trialsInstagram: @ProfDavidHunterTwitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorgEmail: [email protected]: www.jointaction.info/podcastIf you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode we are airing the debate between Prof Kim Bennell, internationally renowned for her groundbreaking research on physiotherapy, exercise, and self-management for people living with osteoarthritis and Prof Marius Henriksen, a leading voice in musculoskeletal research, who has rigorously examined the role and sometimes limits of exercise in osteoarthritis care. Listen to this thought-provoking exchange between two absolute heavyweights in the field and dig deeper to find out whether exercise truly delivers on its promise for people with osteoarthritis.RESOURCESYoutube recordingCONNECT WITH USJoin one of our trials https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/current-trialsInstagram: @ProfDavidHunterTwitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorgEmail: [email protected]: www.jointaction.info/podcastIf you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode we discuss reframing pain in the context of osteoarthritis. The purpose of today’s conversation is to help you reconceptualise what pain means and shift the dialogue from pain being solely a marker of tissue damage and discusses the nervous system adaptations that occur as pain persists. Further we discuss education programs that target this knowledge and the beliefs that may underlie behaviours that detract from your ability to be physically active and modify your behaviour.Associate Professor Tasha Stanton leads the Osteoarthritis Research Theme within IIMPACT in Health at the University of South Australia, Adelaide. Her research group is affiliated with the Body in Mind Research group in Adelaide (University of South Australia).Tasha completed her PhD at the University of Sydney in 2010 and is currently a National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Career Development Fellow (2019-2022). She has received over $5.3m in competitive research funding to date, including a highly renowned Canadian Institute of Health Research Postdoctoral Training Fellowship (2011-2014) and NHMRC Early Career Fellowship (2014-2018). Her research aims to understand why we have pain and why, sometimes, pain doesn't go away.RESOURCESJournal articlesA pain science education and walking program to increase physical activity in people with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: a feasibility studyThe EPIPHA-KNEE trial: Explaining Pain to target unhelpful pain beliefs to Increase PHysical Activity in KNEE osteoarthritis - a protocol for a multicentre, randomised controlled trial with clinical- and cost-effectiveness analysisWebsitesNOI GroupCONNECT WITH USJoin one of our trials https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/current-trialsInstagram: @ProfDavidHunterTwitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorgEmail: [email protected]: www.jointaction.info/podcastIf you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Joint Action, Vicky puts David in the hot seat with listener questions.RELATED EPISODESA chat to David and listener questions (Season 2, 2021)Meaghan's osteoarthritis journey (Season 2, 2021)JOURNAL ARTICLESDietary supplements for treating osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysisThe Association of Recreational and Competitive Running With Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysisIs There an Association Between a History of Running and Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis? A Cross-Sectional Study From the Osteoarthritis InitiativeCONNECT WITH USJoin one of our trials https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/current-trialsInstagram: @ProfDavidHunterTwitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorgEmail: [email protected]: www.jointaction.info/podcastIf you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Joint Action, Vicky puts David in the hot seat with listener questions—and a few personal ones too.RELATED EPISODESA chat to David and listener questions (2021)CONNECT WITH USJoin one of our trials https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/current-trialsInstagram: @ProfDavidHunterTwitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorgEmail: [email protected]: www.jointaction.info/podcastIf you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wonder what is involved in a total hip replacement? On this week's episode of Joint Action, we are joined by Robyn Pulman. An avid listener of Joint Action, she now joins as a guest to share her lived experience with osteoarthritis and her personal journey through a recent left anterior hip replacement. Robyn is a public speaking and corporate communication coach and expert behind Speak for Impact, a platform dedicated to helping individuals and team communicate with clarity, confidence and influence. CONNECT WITH USJoin one of our trials https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/current-trialsInstagram: @ProfDavidHunterTwitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorgEmail: [email protected]: www.jointaction.info/podcastIf you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions to lowering rates of chronic disease and promoting mental well-being, active transport systems are reshaping cities and lives. On this week's episode of Joint Action, we are joined by Professor Adam Millard-Ball to explore how communities are reimagining streets to prioritise people over cars. Adam Millard-Ball is a professor of urban planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs where he also directs the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies. His research addresses the challenges of transportation and climate change by how we plan our streets and move around our cities and to identify and evaluate policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  RESOURCESJournal articlesGlobal health and climate benefits from walking and cycling infrastructureCONNECT WITH USJoin one of our trials https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/current-trialsInstagram: @ProfDavidHunterTwitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorgEmail: [email protected]: www.jointaction.info/podcastIf you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can two wheels really help ease joint pain? On this week's episode we are joined by Professor Tom Wainwright to discuss the benefits of cycling for hip osteoarthritis. He also discusses the findings of his recently completed randomised controlled trial comparing a cycling and educational intervention to usual physiotherapy care. Professor Tom Wainwright is a physiotherapist specialising in orthopaedic physiotherapy, researcher and educator. He has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications is recognised as an international expert in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols in Orthopaedics and was the lead author of the first ERAS Society guidelines for hip and knee replacement. Tom is passionate about improving the quality of healthcare systems and works to help other healthcare providers improve the quality of their services through teaching and consultancy.RESOURCESORI Education App - ORI Education shares online learning courses to those with an interest in osteoarthritis and orthopaedic surgery. These courses are informed by the latest research and professional thinking from our institute, along with research evidence from across the globe.CHAIN (Cycling against Hip pAIN)Journal ArticlesClinical and cost-effectiveness of a cycling and education intervention versus usual physiotherapy care for the treatment of hip osteoarthritis in the UK (CLEAT): a pragmatic, randomised, controlled trialCONNECT WITH USJoin one of our trials https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/current-trialsInstagram: @ProfDavidHunterTwitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorgEmail: [email protected]: www.jointaction.info/podcastIf you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you know that 1 in 8 Australians live with osteoarthritis? It is one of the leading causes of pain and disability worldwide. On this special episode, we hear from previous guests on common misconceptions and beliefs about osteoarthritis, the importance of staying physically active, behaviour change, and driving change in osteoarthritis.If you are interested, you can listen to the full episodes:“Common Misconceptions and Beliefs about Osteoarthritis” with A/Prof Ben Darlow (Season 6, Ep. 16)“Walking for Joint Health” with Dr Sarah Kobayashi (Season 6, Ep. 12)"Tips for behaviour change for diet and exercise" with Dr Shannon Mihalko (Season 4, Ep. 1)"Driving change in osteoarthritis - strategies, barriers and consumer power" with Louise Hardy (Season 6, Ep. 7)RESOURCESMyOA.org.au - Additional resourcesCONNECT WITH USJoin one of our trials https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/current-trialsInstagram: @profdavidhunterTwitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorgEmail: [email protected]: www.jointaction.info/podcastIf you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

High tibial osteotomy (HTO) is a limb realignment surgery which is intended for people who have medial compartment osteoarthritis (OA), but are not suitable candidates for total knee replacement due to younger age, less severe disease and greater physical demands. The aim of HTO is to correct alignment, thereby shifting load away from the more involved knee compartment and limit progression of knee OA.On this week's episode of Joint Action, we are joined by Dr Trevor Birmingham and Dr David Parker to discuss high tibial osteotomy surgery, who it is suitable for and the risks involved.Professor Trevor Birmingham is a physiotherapist and Canada Research Chair in Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation at the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada. He leads research on musculoskeletal health, often combining clinical outcomes with biomechanical, imaging and biological measures in cohort studies and randomized trials. He co-directs the Wolf Orthopaedic Biomechanics Lab at the Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic and is a founding member of the Bone and Joint Institute and the Collaborative Graduate Training Program in Musculoskeletal Health Research at Western University. Dr David Parker is an experienced orthopaedic knee specialist and co-founder of the Sydney Orthopaedic Research Institute (SORI). He is passionate about sport and is actively involved with international orthopaedic and sports medicine organisations and has extensive experience with athletes of all levels from recreational to elite. Dr Parker has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and many textbook chapters and has been awarded the Australian Orthopaedic Association Prize for Research. RESOURCESJournal articlesTotal knee replacement after high tibial osteotomy: time-to-event analysis and predictorsCONNECT WITH USJoin one of our trials https://www.osteoarthritisresearch.com.au/current-trialsTwitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorgEmail: [email protected]: www.jointaction.info/podcastIf you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's episode is in honour of Frank Beier, who recently passed away on July 18, 2025. Frank leaves behind a remarkable legacy through the impact he made in the field of osteoarthritis. In this previous episode (2021), he discussed the recent advances in osteoarthritis understanding with a particular emphasis on novel targets and epigenetics.Despite the large prevalence of osteoarthritis, there is no clinically approved drug which provides a cure. Currently, drugs focus on relieving symptoms such as pain. Experiments done in the laboratory have provided insight on osteoarthritis onset and progression and will likely guide therapeutic development. We know that osteoarthritis is a disease of the whole organ meaning that any of the tissues involved in the synovial joint can be affected. The interplay between the various cell types involved is complex and understanding the interactions between cartilage, bone and synovium may be critical to therapeutic development. Skeletal development likely plays a very important role in predisposition to disease. Through the identification of serious pathologies such as various forms of dwarfism (what in medical terms are called chondrodysplasias) the role of transcription factors and epigenetics is increasing our understanding of disease genesis.The study of the epigenetics of OA - the mechanism by which the human genome alters it’s gene expression (without changing the primary DNA sequence) has provided valuable information on novel risk factors for the disease and are potential therapeutic targets for OA.RESOURCESJournal articlesNuclear receptors as potential drug targets in osteoarthritisInterplay between genetics and epigenetics in osteoarthritisRecent developments in emerging therapeutic targets of osteoarthritisCONNECT WITH USTwitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorgEmail: [email protected]: www.jointaction.info/podcastIf you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Joint Action discover how ultra-processed foods may be silently contributing to osteoarthritis. Dr Gabby Joseph joins us to discuss her research research linking poor diet quality to greater knee pain, poorer physical function and thinner knee cartilage. Dr Gabby Joseph is a scientist and statistician with over 20 years of experience leading research funded by the US government at the University of California San Francisco, Her work focuses on musculoskeletal imaging, predictive modelling, and clinical study design, with a focus on applying advanced statistical and machine learning methods to improve patient outcomes She is the co-Director of The University of California's Clinical & Translational Musculoskeletal Imaging group and passionate about making sense of complex data so that it can be used to improve real-world care. RESOURCESUltra-processed food consumption is associated with knee osteoarthritis: Data from the Osteoarthritis InitiativeCONNECT WITH USTwitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorgInstagram: @osteoarthritisresearchgroupEmail: [email protected]: www.jointaction.info/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dribbling into discovery - on this episode of Joint Action, we are joined by Dr John Drazan to learn more about how he is using basketball to inspire the next generation of scientists. Dr John Drazan is an Assistant Professor of biomedical engineering at Fairfield University where he studies the relationship between muscle structure and function to understand how muscles remodel in response to aging, injury, or training. He is an award-winning STEM educator and former collegiate basketball player who runs STEM focused clinics to encourage student interest in maths, science, technology and engineering. His innovative programs have reached over 25,000 students across the USA.CONNECT WITH USTwitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorgInstagram: @osteoarthritisresearchgroupEmail: [email protected]: www.jointaction.info/podcastIf you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to learn more about osteoarthritis from the world's leading experts! And please let us know what you thought by leaving us a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.