Mirror Therapy as an Adjunct to Rehabilitation Following Total Knee Arthroplasty

NCT07380958 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2384397-1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

The investigators are looking to see if using a mirror during knee exercises after a knee replacement helps participants with less pain and/or better knee range of motion.

Conditions

Total Knee Arthroplasty Recovery

Keywords

Total knee replacement; pain; mirror therapy; range of motion; joint replacement; rehabilitation following a knee replacement

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Pain NRS (Pain Numerical Rating Scale)

  Subject rates pain from 0-10 with 0 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain

  Every visit, visits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8. Visits start within 14 days of the TKA and occur a total of 8 times within a 4 weeks time frame.

• Knee Flexion and Extension Goniometry

  A measurement of knee flexion and knee extension, using a goniometer, will be completed.

  Every visit, visits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8. Visits start within 14 days of the TKA and occur a total of 8 times within a 4 weeks time frame.

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Gait Speed

  Visit 1 and visit 8. Visits start within 14 days of the TKA and occur a total of 8 times within a 4 weeks time frame.

• Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, Junior (KOOS Jr)

  Visit 1 and visit 8. Visits start within 14 days of the TKA and occur a total of 8 times within a 4 weeks time frame.

Study Arms (2)

Sham, no mirror provided

SHAM COMPARATOR

Subjects will participate in ROM activities, consistent with standard PT care, without a mirror

Other: Sham Intervention

Active mirror

EXPERIMENTAL

Subjects will participate in ROM activities, consistent with standard PT care, with a mirror

Other: Mirror Therapy

Interventions

Mirror Therapy OTHER

Using a mirror while participating in ROM activities.

Active mirror

Sham Intervention OTHER

Using a covered mirror, unable to see reflection. subject will perform all ROM activities

Sham, no mirror provided

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Candidates that have been screened and deemed eligible for a TKA and received a TKA 14 days or less post operation.
• English speaking
• Able to understand and follow instructions
• Has at least 5 degrees of knee extension to 100 degrees of knee flexion AROM on the contralateral knee
• Able to perform unilateral stance on contralateral side for at least 5 seconds (balance assistance allowed)
• Able to perform exercises

You may not qualify if:

• Post-surgical complications (DVT, infection, nerve injury, vascular injury)
• Pain rating on NPRS no more than a 4/10 on the contralateral LE
• Significant scar or deformity of the contralateral LE
• Visual impairments causing an inability to see the reflection in a mirror

Sponsors & Collaborators

• State University of New York - Upstate Medical University: lead

Related Publications (6)

• Toshmniwal, P., Wani, Dr. S., Mungikar, Dr. S., Garg, Dr. K., & Katage, Dr. G. (n.d.). Effectiveness of mirror therapy in adjunct to conventional physiotherapy on pain, instability, joint mobility, and proprioception in patients with post anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery: a randomized controlled trial. Neuro Quantology, 20(9), 5954-5960.

  BACKGROUND

• Ramachandran, V. S., et al. "Touching the Phantom Limb." Nature, vol. 377, no. 6549, Oct. 1995, pp. 489-490, https://doi.org/10.1038/377489a0

  BACKGROUND

• Frenkel MO, Maltese S, Mayer J, Thermann H. Does mental practice supplemented by mirror therapy promote flexion ability after total knee endoprosthesis? Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Research. 2018;3(2):1-10.

  BACKGROUND

• Ray L. Joint Replacement Surgery. rheumatology.org. Published February 2024. https://rheumatology.org/participants/joint-replacement-surgery

  BACKGROUND

• Rebne E, Louw A, Podalak J, et al. Mirror Therapy for Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Pilot Study. Surgery Research Journal. 3(1):1-9.

  BACKGROUND

• Nishi K, Moriuchi T, Okamura R, Hasegawa T, Chang X, Matsumoto S, Koseki H, Higashi T. Mirror Therapy Reduces Pain and Preserves Corticomotor Excitability in Human Experimental Skeletal Muscle Pain. Brain Sci. 2024 Feb 23;14(3):206. doi: 10.3390/brainsci14030206.

  PMID: 38539595 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pain

Interventions

Mirror Movement Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Physical Therapy Modalities; Rehabilitation; Therapeutics

Central Study Contacts

Marissa Hanlon, PT, DPT, GCS, CSCS

CONTACT

315-464-6892; hanlonma@upstate.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy Education

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 9, 2026
• First Posted: February 2, 2026
• Study Start: February 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2026
• Last Updated: February 2, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share