Ultrasound-guided Needle Percutaneous Electrolysis With Therapeutic Exercise in Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

NCT07548034 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: CdEi95
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Hip pain in the front of the hip is common and can make daily activities and sports difficult. One frequent cause is femoroacetabular impingement, also known as hip impingement. This clinical trial is studying whether adding ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrolysis - a minimally invasive physiotherapy technique that uses a fine needle and a small electrical current - to a program of specific exercises works better than doing the exercises alone. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:

• One group will receive two sessions of percutaneous electrolysis plus a home exercise program.
• The other group will follow the same home exercise program without percutaneous electrolysis. The study will last five weeks. Researchers will measure pain, hip movement, and hip function at the beginning, after one week, and after four weeks. They will also record any side effects. The main goal is to find out if adding percutaneous electrolysis helps reduce hip pain and improve function more than exercise alone. This pilot study will help determine if this technique could be a safe and effective non-surgical treatment option for people with pain in the front of the hip.

Conditions

Femoro Acetabular Impingement; Hip Pain; Iliopsoas Syndrome; Groin Pain

Keywords

Percutaneous needle electrolysis; Therapeutic exercise; Anterior hip pain; Iliopsoas; Hip function; Range of motion; Pain intensity; Ultrasound-guided therapy; Conservative treatment; Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Needle Electrolysis

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Mean Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain score during provocative hip tests

  Average pain intensity measured with the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS 0-10, where 0 = no pain and 10 = worst pain imaginable) during three standardized provocative tests: Straight Leg Raise (SLR), Flexion-Adduction-Internal Rotation (FADIR), and Hip-External Rotation-Flexion-Ceiling (HEC). The mean of the three scores is calculated to obtain a global measure of provoked anterior hip pain.

  Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)

Secondary Outcomes (8)

• Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain during SLR test

  Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)

• Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain during FADIR test

  Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)

• Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain during HEC test

  Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)

• Hip flexion range of motion to first onset of pain (P1)

  Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)

• Hip external rotation range of motion to first onset of pain (P1)

  Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)

Study Arms (2)

Percutenous electrolysis + therapeutic exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrolysis combined with a therapeutic exercise program

Other: Ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle electrolysis; Behavioral: Therapeutic exercise program

Therapeutic exercise

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants receive a therapeutic exercise program without additional invasive intervention

Behavioral: Therapeutic exercise program

Interventions

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle electrolysis OTHER

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle electrolysis will be applied to the iliopsoas region targeting hyperechoic fibrotic tissue near the anterior hip joint. The procedure will be performed using a sterile needle under real-time ultrasound guidance with a long-axis in-plane approach from lateral to medial. Electrical current will be delivered with parameters of 2.5 mA for 3 seconds, with a total of 3 applications per session. Two sessions will be performed, one at baseline and one after 7 days. The intervention will be carried out by a physiotherapist with specific training in invasive techniques.

Percutenous electrolysis + therapeutic exercise

Therapeutic exercise program BEHAVIORAL

Participants will perform a home-based therapeutic exercise program focused on lumbopelvic stability, hip strength, and controlled mobility. Exercises include glute bridge, bird dog, isometric hip flexion, and controlled hip flexion mobility. The program consists of 3 sets of 10 repetitions per exercise, performed 3 to 4 times per week over a 4-week period. Exercises will be performed within pain-free ranges and adjusted according to individual tolerance. Initial instruction will be provided by a physiotherapist, with follow-up supervision at one week and four weeks.

Percutenous electrolysis + therapeutic exercise; Therapeutic exercise

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 55 Years
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Anterior hip pain (inguinal region) lasting more than 3 months
• Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain score ≥ 4/10 during at least one provocative test
• Positive result in at least one of the following clinical tests: Straight Leg Raise (SLR), Flexion-Adduction-Internal Rotation (FADIR), or Hip-External Rotation-Flexion-Ceiling (HEC)
• Ultrasound findings compatible with pseudofibrotic tissue near the iliopsoas tendon at the anterosuperior acetabular recess
• Age between 18 and 55 years
• Able to provide written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Previous hip surgery
• Moderate or severe hip osteoarthritis (diagnosed radiographically)
• Neurological pathology affecting the lower limb
• Dominant lumbar spine pathology
• Active rheumatic or systemic inflammatory diseases
• Any contraindication to percutaneous electrolysis
• Belonephobia

Sponsors & Collaborators

• CEU San Pablo University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Fisioterapia La Moraleja

Alcobendas, Madrid, 28109, Spain

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Femoracetabular Impingement; Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Guillermo Gallardo Lopez

  CEU SP University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Guillermo Gallardo López

CONTACT

+34656769214; guillermo.gallardolopez@usp.ceu.es

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: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 17, 2026
• First Posted: April 23, 2026
• Study Start: April 22, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 26, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2027
• Last Updated: May 5, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Locations

ES (1)