NCT05365061

Brief Summary

The purpose of this research is to treat patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) with periosteal electric dry needling (PEDN). It is also to determine the optimal "maintenance" regiment (i.e. maintenance treatments, one maintenance treatment every other month, or one maintenance treatment per month) required to maintain improvements in pain and function following PEDN. Physical therapists commonly use PEDN to treat knee OA, and previous studies suggest that this treatment is useful for reducing pain and improving function in patients with osteoarthritis. However, an appropriate maintenance treatment strategy to maintain these outcomes is presently unknown.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
586

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable knee-osteoarthritis

Timeline
Completed

Started Mar 2021

Longer than P75 for not_applicable knee-osteoarthritis

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

March 1, 2021

Completed
1.1 years until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

April 13, 2022

Completed
26 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

May 9, 2022

Completed
2 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

May 1, 2024

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

May 1, 2024

Completed
Last Updated

June 12, 2024

Status Verified

June 1, 2024

Enrollment Period

3.2 years

First QC Date

April 13, 2022

Last Update Submit

June 11, 2024

Conditions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Change in WOMAC Knee Osteoarthritis Index (Total Score)

    24 questions each worth 0-4 points with maximum score of 96 points possible. The greater the score, the worse the symptoms of knee OA

    baseline, 6 weeks, 14 weeks, 22 weeks, 30 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (6)

  • Change in WOMAC Knee Osteoarthritis Index (Pain)

    baseline, 6 weeks, 14 weeks, 22 weeks, 30 weeks

  • Change in WOMAC Knee Osteoarthritis Index (Stiffness)

    baseline, 6 weeks, 14 weeks, 22 weeks, 30 weeks

  • Change in WOMAC Knee Osteoarthritis Index (Physical Function)

    baseline, 6 weeks, 14 weeks, 22 weeks, 30 weeks

  • Change in knee pain

    baseline, 6 weeks, 14 weeks, 22 weeks, 30 weeks

  • Change in GROC (Global Rating of Change score)

    6 weeks, 14 weeks, 22 weeks, 30 weeks

  • +1 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (3)

Periosteal electrical dry needling followed by no maintenance treatments

EXPERIMENTAL

Periosteal electrical dry needling followed by no maintenance treatments

Other: periosteal electrical dry needling with no maintenance treatments

Periosteal electrical dry needling followed by maintenance treatments every other month

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Periosteal electrical dry needling followed by maintenance treatments every other month

Other: periosteal electrical dry needling with maintenance treatments every other month

Periosteal electrical dry needling followed by monthly maintenance treatments

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Periosteal electrical dry needling followed by monthly maintenance treatments

Other: periosteal electrical dry needling with monthly maintenance treatments

Interventions

periosteal electrical dry needling

Periosteal electrical dry needling followed by no maintenance treatments

periosteal electrical dry needling with maintenance treatments every other month

Periosteal electrical dry needling followed by maintenance treatments every other month

periosteal electrical dry needling with monthly maintenance treatments

Periosteal electrical dry needling followed by monthly maintenance treatments

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Adult over the age of 18 years old:
  • Report of knee pain of at least 2/10 per NPRS (0---10 scale) for \>3 months
  • Report of at least 3 of the following per Altman et al. (1986) (sensitivity = 95% / specificity = 69%)
  • Over 50 Years of age
  • Less than 30 minutes of morning stiffness
  • Crepitus on active motion
  • Bony tenderness
  • Bony enlargement
  • No palpable warmth of Synovium

You may not qualify if:

  • Report of red flags to manual physical therapy to include: hypertension, infection, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, heart disease, stroke, chronic ischemia, edema, severe varicosities, tumor, metabolic disease, prolonged steroid use, fracture, RA, osteoporosis, severe vascular disease, malignancy, etc.
  • History of physical therapy, massage therapy, chiropractic treatment, or injections for knee pain in last 4 weeks.
  • History of a partial or total knee replacement on the painful lower extremity.
  • History of a surgical procedure on either lower extremity in last 12 months.
  • Two or more positive neurologic signs consistent with nerve root compression, including any two of the following:
  • Weakness involving a major muscle group of the lower extremity.
  • Diminished patella or achilles tendon reflex
  • Diminished or absent sensation to pinprick in lower extremity dermatome.
  • Involvement in litigation or worker's compensation regarding knee pain.
  • Any condition that might contraindicate the use of periosteal electric dry needling
  • The patient is pregnant.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Team Rehabilitation

Chamblee, Georgia, 30341, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

  • Dunning J, Young I, Taylor N, Mourad F, Bliton P, Butts R, Escaloni J, Gorby P, Varghese R, Maselli F, Fernandez-de-Las-Penas C. Effect of dose interval of periosteal and intraarticular electrical dry needling boosters on pain and disability in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a multi-center randomized clinical trial. Physiother Theory Pract. 2025 Oct 17:1-14. doi: 10.1080/09593985.2025.2575837. Online ahead of print.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Osteoarthritis, Knee

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

OsteoarthritisArthritisJoint DiseasesMusculoskeletal DiseasesRheumatic Diseases

Study Officials

  • James Dunning, PhD DPT

    American Academy of Manipulative Therapy

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
DOUBLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

April 13, 2022

First Posted

May 9, 2022

Study Start

March 1, 2021

Primary Completion

May 1, 2024

Study Completion

May 1, 2024

Last Updated

June 12, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-06

Locations