Knee Arthroplasty, TotalKEMTAINCT07502040
Impact of Exercise Access on Physio Outcomes Post Knee Replacement
A study testing Kemtai Digital App in people with Knee Arthroplasty, Total, run by Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
Trial summary
To stay strong, patients should do some strength training at least twice a week. However arthritic pain can limit walking and activity. The wait for knee surgery can be long, which can lead to loss of muscle strength. Patients who need a new knee joint tend to be older. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Knee Arthroplasty, Total
- What is being tested?
- Kemtai Digital App
- Type of treatment
- Medical device, Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 40 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 31 Mar 2026to 28 Nov 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Adults aged ≥18 years.
- Referred to Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust t for Knee Arthroplasty at either Castle Hill Hospital or Goole District Hospital and has access to pre operative resources offered by the joint school physiotherapists.
- Has access to a device which is compatible with the operational requirements of the Kemtai programme.
- Able to give informed consent.
Who cannot join
- Significant comorbid physical or mental illness considered by the investigator to either: prevent engagement in modified exercise; impair the participants ability to follow instructions place the participant at undue risk during exercise training adversely affect the recovery or rehabilitation trajectory
- Patients already involved in an exercise or rehabilitation study will be excluded from this study.
- Unwilling or unable to consent or complete study measures.
- Has insufficient understanding of English or the languages that are supported by the Kemtai programme and does not have someone who can translate.
- Is a prisoner
- Has had a total hip replacement within the previous 6 months.
Show all 10Show fewer
- Is attending for revision of a previous knee replacement
- Is having a knee replacement due to a tumour
- Lacks visual acuity sufficient to follow stimuli on monitor or has someone who can give necessary verbal prompts
- Severe genu varum or genu valgum deformity which precludes the ability to exercise using the Kemtai programme.
About this study
Official title: A Feasibility Study To Determine The Effect Of An Artificial Intelligence (AI) Based Motion Tracking Exercise Programme (Kemtai) On Amount Of Physiotherapy Contact And Length Of Hospital Stay After Knee Arthroplasty Compared With Exercise As Usual .
To stay strong, patients should do some strength training at least twice a week. However arthritic pain can limit walking and activity. The wait for knee surgery can be long, which can lead to loss of muscle strength. Patients who need a new knee joint tend to be older. If older people do not exercise and become weak, they tire easily, and may take longer to recover after surgery. Patients recover faster after having a new knee joint if their leg muscles are strong. This is why exercise before surgery can help people to make the most of their new joint. Patients come to a joint school where the investigators show them exercises and advise how to get ready for surgery. Patients are given a sheet of pictures and prompts for each exercise but the investigators know that some people don't do the exercises that they are given. Exercises are more likely to be done if they are fun, if people can see they make a difference, if they know what to do, and if their physiotherapist can check what they are doing.
Read the detailed description
To stay strong, patients should do some strength training at least twice a week. However arthritic pain can limit walking and activity. The wait for knee surgery can be long, which can lead to loss of muscle strength. Patients who need a new knee joint tend to be older. If older people do not exercise and become weak, they tire easily, and may take longer to recover after surgery. Patients recover faster after having a new knee joint if their leg muscles are strong. This is why exercise before surgery can help people to make the most of their new joint. Patients come to a joint school where the investigators show them exercises and advise how to get ready for surgery.
Patients are given a sheet of pictures and prompts for each exercise but the investigators know that some people don't do the exercises that they are given. Exercises are more likely to be done if they are fun, if people can see they make a difference, if they know what to do, and if their physiotherapist can check what they are doing.
Patients come to a joint school where the investigators show them exercises and advise how to get ready for surgery. Patients are given a sheet of pictures and prompts for each exercise but the investigators know that some people don't do the exercises that they are given. Exercises are more likely to be done if they are fun, if people can see they make a difference, if they know what to do, and if their physiotherapist can check what they are doing.
Kemtai is an online exercise program which shows how to do the exercises and tells the patient how to move in the right way if they are not doing it correctly. The patient gets a score to show how well they are doing the exercise. This makes the task fun. Their physio can see when they have exercised and if they are making progress.
The investigators will perform a small study called a pilot randomised controlled trial to find out how many people are eligible to take part, how many agree to take part, and the reasons for not being able to do so.
This study will tell us how many patients can use online programmes and have access to computers, tablets or smartphones that can run the Kemtai programme. The investigators can provide data if someone is able to take part but are unable to provide a smartphone or tablet. This study will tell us how many patients would need data or devices to take part in a bigger study.
The investigators also want to know if there are any differences in amount of exercise done before surgery, and in length of stay in hospital, amount of physiotherapy, pain, movement and quality of life after surgery between those who used a paper exercise prompt sheet and those who used an online exercise programme (Kemtai).
Joint school physios will identify who is eligible for the study. If interested, the patients will be given a leaflet and invited to watch a presentation about the study. Those patients who wish to take part will be asked to give informed consent and asked to fill in three questionnaires (Oxford knee score, EQ-5D-5L and the visual analogue scale). Patients will also be asked for some information (name, address, gender, ethnic group, e-mail, and year of birth) to help the investigators compare the two groups. A computer programme will inform the investigators if the patient should have Kemtai access or a sheet of exercises. No more physiotherapy is given until after the patients have their new joint. The investigators offer help to access the Kemtai programme and will note what help is needed.
After surgery, the number of physio contacts and the number of hours in hospital will be counted. The number of times that the patients exercised before surgery will be collected either from the exercise diary that contains the paper exercise list, or from the Kemtai programme. At six weeks after surgery patients will be contacted by phone and asked to give their scores for the three questionnaires again. A patient's time in the study stops at this point.
A team, which includes patients who have had new knee joints, will look at the results and decide how a larger study should be run.
- Conditions
- Knee Arthroplasty, Total
- Being tested
- Kemtai Digital App, NHS standard care
- Keywords
- Arthroplasty, Exercise, Prehabilitation, Motion-tracking, Digital App, Artificial intelligence
- Medical subject headings
- Motor Activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Kemtai Digital AppDevice
This group will be granted access to the Kemtai digital App (the experimental device intervention) which provides an identical exercise prescription to the comparator intervention but supports the patient through the exercise with tracking and real time (mediated via AI) advice on corrective exercise techniques.
NHS standard careBehavioural
This group will be provided the NHS standard of care which is a paper based handout illustrating the exercises and the prescription to be done before and after surgery.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Kemtai Digital App | Experimental | A randomised group of twenty patients will be granted access to the Kemtai digital App (the experimental arm) which provides an identical exercise prescription to the comparator (NHS standard of care intervention) but supports the patient through the exercise with tracking and real time (via AI) advice on corrective exercise techniques. Receives: Device: Kemtai Digital App |
| NHS Standard of Care | Active comparator | A randomised group of twenty patients will be provided the NHS standard of care which is a paper based handout illustrating the exercises and the prescription to be done before and after surgery. Receives: Behavioral: NHS standard care |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Length of stay in hospital
Number of hours between time of surgery and time of discharge
Measured: From time of surgery to the time of discharge from hospital, up to 52 weeks.
Number of post operative physiotherapy contacts
This measure is a count of the number of times that the participant has a documented contact with a physiotherapist after surgery. This may be in person or via telephone or video call, and may take place in hospital or after discharge from hospital after surgery.
Measured: From operation to 6 weeks post operation, up to 52 weeks.
Secondary outcomes (3)
Oxford knee scale
The Oxford Knee Score (OKS) is a validated 12-question patient survey used to assess pain and functional limitations in patients with knee arthritis. Scores range from 0-48, with lower score indicating more pain and functional limitations.
Measured: From enrolment to six weeks post surgery
EQ5DL- a health-related quality of life tool.
The EQ5DL is a well validated quality of life measure. The scoring is 1-5 across each domain (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression) with a higher number indicating worse quality of life in each domain.
Scoring: Results in a 5-digit code (e.g., 11111 for excellent quality of life and 5,5,5,5,5 for the worst quality of life
Measured: From enrolment to six weeks post surgery, up to 52 weeks.
Visual analogue scale
Includes a visual analogue scale (0-100) for patients to rate their health "today". A higher score is indicates better health.
Measured: From enrolment to six weeks post surgery
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted30 Mar 2026
- Study start31 Mar 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion30 Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion28 Nov 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Knee Arthroplasty, TotalStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Sponsor type
- Other government
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07502040
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HullUTH
- Other IDs
- IRAS 345128
- Acronym
- KEMTAI
- Status last verified
- Aug 2025
- First submitted
- 24 Feb 2026
- Last updated
- 30 Mar 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: We will share anonymised data with other researchers. Any request for data should be made to Dr Angela Green at Angela.Green28@nhs.net or Dr James P Hobkirk at James.Hobkirk3@nhs.net
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 30 Mar 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Feasibility Study To Determine The Effect Of An Artificial Intelligence (AI) Based Motion Tracking Exercise Programme (Kemtai) On Amount Of Physiotherapy Contact And Length Of Hospital Stay After Knee Arthroplasty Compared With Exercise As Usual .
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07502040
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- KEMTAI / HullUTH
- Conditions
- Knee Arthroplasty, Total
- Keywords
- Arthroplasty, Exercise, Prehabilitation, Motion-tracking, Digital App, Artificial intelligence
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustOther government
- Study start
- 31 Mar 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 30 Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 28 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 30 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
To stay strong, patients should do some strength training at least twice a week. However arthritic pain can limit walking and activity. The wait for knee surgery can be long, which can lead to loss of muscle strength. Patients who need a new knee joint tend to be older. If older people do not exercise and become weak, they tire easily, and may take longer to recover after surgery. Patients recover faster after having a new knee joint if their leg muscles are strong. This is why exercise before surgery can help people to make the most of their new joint. Patients come to a joint school where the investigators show them exercises and advise how to get ready for surgery. Patients are given a sheet of pictures and prompts for each exercise but the investigators know that some people don't do the exercises that they are given. Exercises are more likely to be done if they are fun, if people can see they make a difference, if they know what to do, and if their physiotherapist can check what they are doing.
Detailed description
To stay strong, patients should do some strength training at least twice a week. However arthritic pain can limit walking and activity. The wait for knee surgery can be long, which can lead to loss of muscle strength. Patients who need a new knee joint tend to be older. If older people do not exercise and become weak, they tire easily, and may take longer to recover after surgery. Patients recover faster after having a new knee joint if their leg muscles are strong. This is why exercise before surgery can help people to make the most of their new joint. Patients come to a joint school where the investigators show them exercises and advise how to get ready for surgery.
Patients are given a sheet of pictures and prompts for each exercise but the investigators know that some people don't do the exercises that they are given. Exercises are more likely to be done if they are fun, if people can see they make a difference, if they know what to do, and if their physiotherapist can check what they are doing.
Patients come to a joint school where the investigators show them exercises and advise how to get ready for surgery. Patients are given a sheet of pictures and prompts for each exercise but the investigators know that some people don't do the exercises that they are given. Exercises are more likely to be done if they are fun, if people can see they make a difference, if they know what to do, and if their physiotherapist can check what they are doing.
Kemtai is an online exercise program which shows how to do the exercises and tells the patient how to move in the right way if they are not doing it correctly. The patient gets a score to show how well they are doing the exercise. This makes the task fun. Their physio can see when they have exercised and if they are making progress.
The investigators will perform a small study called a pilot randomised controlled trial to find out how many people are eligible to take part, how many agree to take part, and the reasons for not being able to do so.
This study will tell us how many patients can use online programmes and have access to computers, tablets or smartphones that can run the Kemtai programme. The investigators can provide data if someone is able to take part but are unable to provide a smartphone or tablet. This study will tell us how many patients would need data or devices to take part in a bigger study.
The investigators also want to know if there are any differences in amount of exercise done before surgery, and in length of stay in hospital, amount of physiotherapy, pain, movement and quality of life after surgery between those who used a paper exercise prompt sheet and those who used an online exercise programme (Kemtai).
Joint school physios will identify who is eligible for the study. If interested, the patients will be given a leaflet and invited to watch a presentation about the study. Those patients who wish to take part will be asked to give informed consent and asked to fill in three questionnaires (Oxford knee score, EQ-5D-5L and the visual analogue scale). Patients will also be asked for some information (name, address, gender, ethnic group, e-mail, and year of birth) to help the investigators compare the two groups. A computer programme will inform the investigators if the patient should have Kemtai access or a sheet of exercises. No more physiotherapy is given until after the patients have their new joint. The investigators offer help to access the Kemtai programme and will note what help is needed.
After surgery, the number of physio contacts and the number of hours in hospital will be counted. The number of times that the patients exercised before surgery will be collected either from the exercise diary that contains the paper exercise list, or from the Kemtai programme. At six weeks after surgery patients will be contacted by phone and asked to give their scores for the three questionnaires again. A patient's time in the study stops at this point.
A team, which includes patients who have had new knee joints, will look at the results and decide how a larger study should be run.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Kemtai Digital App | Experimental | Device: Kemtai Digital AppA randomised group of twenty patients will be granted access to the Kemtai digital App (the experimental arm) which provides an identical exercise prescription to the comparator (NHS standard of care intervention) but supports the patient through the exercise with tracking and real time (via AI) advice on corrective exercise techniques. |
| NHS Standard of Care | Active comparator | Behavioral: NHS standard careA randomised group of twenty patients will be provided the NHS standard of care which is a paper based handout illustrating the exercises and the prescription to be done before and after surgery. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Adults aged ≥18 years.
- Referred to Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust t for Knee Arthroplasty at either Castle Hill Hospital or Goole District Hospital and has access to pre operative resources offered by the joint school physiotherapists.
- Has access to a device which is compatible with the operational requirements of the Kemtai programme.
- Able to give informed consent.
Key exclusion criteria (10 listed)
- Significant comorbid physical or mental illness considered by the investigator to either: prevent engagement in modified exercise; impair the participants ability to follow instructions place the participant at undue risk during exercise training adversely affect the recovery or rehabilitation trajectory
- Patients already involved in an exercise or rehabilitation study will be excluded from this study.
- Unwilling or unable to consent or complete study measures.
- Has insufficient understanding of English or the languages that are supported by the Kemtai programme and does not have someone who can translate.
- Is a prisoner
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Kemtai Digital AppThis group will be granted access to the Kemtai digital App (the experimental device intervention) which provides an identical exercise prescription to the comparator intervention but supports the patient through the exercise with tracking and real time (mediated via AI) advice on corrective exercise techniques. | Device | Kemtai Digital App |
| NHS standard careThis group will be provided the NHS standard of care which is a paper based handout illustrating the exercises and the prescription to be done before and after surgery. | Behavioural | NHS Standard of Care |
Primary outcome
Length of stay in hospital
Time frame: From time of surgery to the time of discharge from hospital, up to 52 weeks.
Number of hours between time of surgery and time of discharge
Number of post operative physiotherapy contacts
Time frame: From operation to 6 weeks post operation, up to 52 weeks.
This measure is a count of the number of times that the participant has a documented contact with a physiotherapist after surgery. This may be in person or via telephone or video call, and may take place in hospital or after discharge from hospital after surgery.
3 secondary outcomes
Oxford knee scale
Time frame: From enrolment to six weeks post surgery
EQ5DL- a health-related quality of life tool.
Time frame: From enrolment to six weeks post surgery, up to 52 weeks.
Visual analogue scale
Time frame: From enrolment to six weeks post surgery
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 30 Mar 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. We will share anonymised data with other researchers. Any request for data should be made to Dr Angela Green at Angela.Green28@nhs.net or Dr James P Hobkirk at James.Hobkirk3@nhs.net
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Kemtai Digital App in people with Knee Arthroplasty, Total, run by Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 10 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 30 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Length of stay in hospital (time frame: From time of surgery to the time of discharge from hospital, up to 52 weeks.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 30 Mar 2026.