300,000+ clinical trials. Find the right one.

260 active trials for Knee Osteoarthritis

Influence of Noxious Electrical Stimulation on Chronic Pain From Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common lower extremity joint pain condition, and it is estimated that 15 million people in the US are living with symptomatic knee OA and that more than half (8 million) are under 65 years of age. To that end, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly recommends non-pharmacological treatments for chronic pain including physical therapy and weight loss; however, these interventions have significant barriers that can prevent their success. An intervention that targets pain specifically is transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), which is a low-cost intervention with evidence to support pain reduction. As used in the majority of research to date, the intervention called "TENS" refers to the application of electricity across the skin that produces a tingling sensation that is strong but comfortable. However, electricity is applied at a noxious level is thought to result in strong activation of the endogenous pain modulation system, thus producing longer-lasting pain inhibition. However, noxious electrical stimulation (NxES) has rarely been investigated as a treatment intervention. Recent studies, including our own, demonstrate that NxES produces immediate and potentially greater pain relief. Despite some promising research, the clinical use of NxES is sparse and more research is necessary to demonstrate its effects on resting pain, movement-related pain, physical function, and quality of life. The investigators hypothesize that the application of NxES will activate pain modulation mechanisms and change the pain modulation profile toward an anti-nociceptive state in adults with chronic knee osteoarthritis (OA) pain, and thereby decrease pain (at rest and with movement), improve physical function, and improve quality of life. The investigators expect individual differences; therefore, participants will be classified at baseline and their response to the intervention tracked using psychophysical tests and clinical response. The hypothesis will be tested through 2 Specific Aims. Aim 1: The investigators will test the magnitude and duration of pain relief and functional improvement of a single treatment with NxES in adults with chronic knee OA pain. Aim 2: The investigators will determine if repeated NxES treatments show greater pain relief and/or functional improvements and if so, whether the gains plateau after a certain number of treatments. The knowledge gained by this study will be important to physical therapists and other health care practitioners who treat people with chronic knee osteoarthritic pain. If noxious electrical stimulation is found to be an effective strategy to decrease pain at rest and with movement, it may lead to improved patient care, improved function, and decreased chronic pain in people with knee osteoarthritis.

Start: January 2021
Molecular Pathways Involved in Knee Pain

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and the most common cause of knee pain in the world. The rate of knee arthritis is as high as that of cardiac disease and is the most common problem in individuals over the age of 65. Central Sensitization (CS) is a marker of widespread pain sensitivity that can occur throughout the central nervous system distribution, leading to changes in the spinal cord as well as in the brain. The presence of CS increases the complexity of the clinical picture and can negatively affect treatment outcomes. CS is present in >20% of patients suffering from knee OA indicating that in the majority of individuals suffering with painful knee OA, knee pain should be related to molecular changes in the joint. CS might be also associated with discrete synovial fluid proteomic signatures due to the generation by the joint of chemical mediators (e.g. nerve growth factor) that drive CS, or CS might moderate the relationship between synovial fluid proteomic signatures and symptoms due to alterations in pain processing. The aim of this study is to explore the potential molecular links between pain and structure on knee pain using synovial fluid proteomics. A secondary purpose is to explore the association of knee pain with biomarkers of stress, metabolism and dietary habits. In a single session, ultrasound-guided synovial fluid, blood urine and saliva extraction, clinical assessment, completion of a questionnaire booklet and knee x-rays will be conducted. The clinical assessment will measure three features of central sensitisation (sensitivity to blunt pressure on the most painful knee, changes in pain felt during repeated light pricking of the knee skin, and reduction in pain that accompanies inflation of a blood pressure cuff on the non-dominant arm), features of leg strength (dynamometer, time up-and-go test) and features of balance (sway). Participant involvement at each session is expected to last less than 3 hours. Individuals over 45 having complaints of knee pain for 3-6 months are eligible to participate. The clinical assessments, questionnaire completion and subsequent statistical analysis are expected to be completed within 18 months of study commencement. The findings can provide more insight into the traits of knee pain, allow the examination of possible correlations to each other, and highlight potential detrimental effects of them on knee joint health.

Start: November 2020
Total or Partial Knee Arthroplasty Trial

In the majority of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee the disease originates in the medial compartment. There are two different approaches to replacing this arthritic area. Some surgeons feel that it is always best to replace both the knee compartments with a Total Knee Replacement (TKR). Others feel it is best to replace just the damaged component of the knee with a Unicompartmental Knee Replacement (UKR). There is little agreement amongst knee surgeons. Both interventions are established and well documented procedures, yet little evidence exists to support either practice. Each intervention is considered standard care. There exists little evidence, however, to prove the clinical and cost effectiveness of either management option. The aim of the Total or Partial Knee Arthroplasty Trial (TOPKAT) will be to assess the clinical and cost effectiveness of Total Knee Replacements versus Unicompartmental Knee Replacements in patients with medial osteoarthritis. This will be examined using an appropriate patient base and long term assessments. The trial has a combined device/expertise based allocation depending on the local situation. Surgeons who are in equipoise and have sufficient experience to perform both TKR and UKR, randomisation and allocation can be based on "device" (UKR or TKR). The same surgeon will perform the operation for both arms of the study. For surgeons who hold a preference for one treatment over the other, an "expertise" based randomisation will then occur. UKR surgeons will work alongside TKR surgeons. Patients recruited to the study from these sites will be randomised to one of the treatment options and treated by the appropriate surgeon. In such cases the patient is internally referred to the other surgeon's operating list. Patients will be recruited by their consultant knee surgeons in collaboration with the local research team. TOPKAT are hoping to recruit 500 patients altogether, with 250 per arm of the trial.

Start: January 2010