Eefje van Helvoort presents APPROACH’s work on GaitSmart® analysis at OARSI Connect 2021

At the event Eefje explained that nowadays there are many techniques used to evaluate the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). All of these techniques have their own strengths and limitations. Conventional x-rays are the gold standard to evaluate OA progression, but they lack the ability to visualize changes in articular cartilage directly. Moreover, clinical symptoms of OA might be present 2-3 years before changes appear on conventional x-rays. In fact, the MRI does have the ability to visualize all joint tissues, including cartilage. However, MRI scans are very costly and therefore not suitable for standard use in clinical practice. Additionally, questionnaires which assess pain and functional limitations reflect the subjective opinion of a patient rather than presenting an objective measurement for functional severity. Therefore, there is still an unmet need for non- or minimally invasive techniques, contributing to the evaluation of OA. One promising technique to evaluate the progression of OA is motion analysis using the GaitSmart® system. This is a user-friendly and objective method to assess gait, which takes about 10-15 minutes and can be carried out anywhere. The analysis uses six sensors, attached to the body. Patients have to walk 15-20 minutes at their own speed with these sensors. After this, the sensors are connected to a laptop that analyzes results.

The APPROACH cohort evaluated whether GaitSmart® has additional value in the evaluation of knee OA. APPROACH researchers found out that GaitSmart® motion analysis measures additional features of a patient’s disease status, compared to conventional x-ray and questionnaires. In addition, they concluded that the GaitSmart® motion analysis improves prediction of the presence of tissue damage as seen on a conventional x-ray.

Read the public summary of our recent consortium publication describing the relationship between motion, using the GaitSmart® system, and radiographic knee OA here.

APPROACH abstract within the highest ranked in OARSI 2021

At OARSI 2021 Eefje’s presentation was ranked amongst the highest rated abstracts from young investigators. Eefje shares her experience at the world congress:

“I have had attended OARSI a few times but this was my first virtual congress. Although it is quite different from meeting people in person I really enjoyed it and felt it was still possible to connect with colleagues from all over the world.

The session was very interesting with a variety of subjects. It wasn’t possible to see how many people attended the session but there were a lot of questions and great discussion after the presentations. I got some question about the feasibility in the clinical setting and how to use GaitSmart® in a longitudinal setting. I think the value of GaitSmart® lies in the follow-up of patients instead of a cross sectional analysis, so I am really curious about what the 2-year data will tell us about GaitSmart®.

Also, it is important for the APPROACH cohort to be represented at these kinds of events. Within the consortium we collect a lot of data from OA patients and with that create a unique dataset which can be valuable for researchers not only within, but also outside the consortium.”

About the presenter

Eefje van Helvoort is a researcher for APPROACH at UMC Utrecht (The Netherlands). The main focus of her work on the project is conducting the participant visits in UMC Utrecht where she is responsible for almost all parts of the visits. Among these are clinical examination, collecting blood and urine samples, and MRI scans. Moreover, Eefje is participating in the development of the participant newsletter for APPROACH, which explains the research in the project to study participants and is prepared in close cooperation with the Patient Council appointed for the project. Furthermore, Eefje is engaged with analysing patient data. 

On the importance of APPROACH study for the wider field of Osteoarthritis research, Eefje shares:

“Ideally, APPROACH would be a first step to find different subtypes to use in future trials within the Osteoarthritis field . Consequently, after many years this will, hopefully, lead to treatments for those specific subtypes. Currently, Osteoarthritis is seen as one disease, while there are several subtypes that will not benefit from the same treatments offered to everyone. Therefore, one should start at the beginning by defining these subtypes and finding appropriate treatments and biomarkers for them.”

Read our interview with Eefje on her work in the APPROACH project here.

About the event

The OARSI (Osteoarthritis Research Society International) world congress on osteoarthritis was organised as a virtual event this year between 29th of April - 1st of May. The annual OARSI world congress is a multidisciplinary global forum for all parties interested in innovative research in the field of osteoarthritis from academia and industry across the globe. Among the participants in the congress are clinical research scientists, radiologists, physiatrists, physical therapists, rheumatologists, orthopaedic surgeons, methodologists, various health professionals with different backgrounds, and also policy makers and other professionals. The OARSI world congress provides a platform for researchers in osteoarthritis to connect over novel research and updates thereof as well as to discuss best practices and exchange experiences. The virtual OARSI 2021 congress will give attendees the opportunity to experience various types of presentations with live Q&A sessions. Moreover, registration includes a full meeting recording package which allows participants to watch and re-watch the congress sessions at their own time and convenience.