Research from Thomas West is helping improve long term outcomes for people with knee injuries.
“I am especially interested in the experiences of young people who have had traumatic knee injuries and subsequent surgery,” he says. “Among this group, one in two will go on to develop knee osteoarthritis, so there is an urgent need for treatment or rehabilitation to prevent it.”
Thomas’s PhD explored how exercise and education can help young people with persistent knee problems after surgery.
“My research highlighted the importance of rehabilitation after knee surgery and the key role that physiotherapists play in leading the recovery process for this group,” he explains.
His research also found that better functional performance in the first few years after knee injury was linked to symptom reduction and a lower likelihood of developing osteoarthritis in the long-term.
“This suggests that physiotherapists should be striving to get their patients to the highest level of strength and functional performance to support participation in sport and physical activity,” he says.
Thomas is currently working as part of a research team investigating how knee injuries and osteoarthritis impact runners. The study will look at how running training habits and muscle strength relate to knee health.
