Knee osteoarthritis requiring joint replacement surgery
Associate Professor Liisa Laakso is testing effectiveness of a light-emitting adhesive patch that shines red and blue light to the knee joint and thigh muscle. Each participant is given four “light-patches” to place on their leg for 30 minutes a day for several weeks, before and after knee surgery.
The researchers ask participants to do simple physical tests and complete questionnaires several times during the study to determine if the light-therapy is beneficial. We also examine bone taken from the knee during surgery, to see if there has been a change here too.
Prof. Laakso is recruiting 60 Mater patients to be part of the study, some of whom will receive a sham treatment instead of light-therapy.