Effects Of Sensor Assisted Neuro-muscular Exercise Vs Electrical Stimulation On Bio-mechnical And Functional Parameters In Grade II And III Knee Osteoarthritis.

NCT07891351 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: 11200925AKPT
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This two-arm randomized controlled trial compared Sensory-Assisted Neuromuscular Exercise (Group A) with Electrical Stimulation (Group B) in 40 adults aged 40-65 with Kellgren-Lawrence Grade II-III knee osteoarthritis, recruited from Ziauddin Hospital and Nemat Begum Hamdard Hospital. Both interventions were given three times a week for eight weeks, with outcomes assessed at baseline, week 8, and week 12 across eighteen variables covering pain, stiffness, function, range of motion, muscle activation, strength, alignment, and quality of life. Both groups improved significantly, but the neuromuscular exercise group outperformed electrical stimulation on most outcomes by week 12. Only the HKA alignment angle remained unchanged in both groups, as expected for a fixed skeletal measure. The authors conclude that neuromuscular exercise should be prioritized as a first-line conservative treatment, with electrical stimulation serving as an adjunct.

Conditions

Knee Arthritis Osteoarthritis; Neuromuscular Adaptations

Keywords

Knee osteoarthritis; neuromuscular exercise; electrical stimulation; randomized controlled trial

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Knee Joint Alignment Measured by Hip-Knee-Ankle (HKA) Angle on Full-Leg Standing Radiograph

  Frontal-plane mechanical alignment of the affected knee, measured on a full-length standing radiograph. The HKA angle is the angle between the femoral mechanical axis (centre of femoral head to centre of knee) and the tibial mechanical axis (centre of knee to centre of ankle). It is reported in degrees of deviation from neutral (0° = neutral alignment). Higher values indicate greater malalignment.

  Baseline, Week 8, and Week 12

Secondary Outcomes (9)

• Knee Pain Intensity Measured by Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)

  Baseline, Week 8, and Week 12

• WOMAC Pain, Stiffness, Physical Function, and Total Scores

  Baseline, Week 8, and Week 1

• Knee Flexion Range of Motion Measured by Digital Goniometer

  Baseline, Week 8, and Week 12

• Knee Extension Deficit Measured by Digital Goniometer

  Baseline, Week 8, and Week 12

• Vastus Medialis Muscle Activation Measured by Surface Electromyography (sEMG)

  Baseline, Week 8, and Week 12

Study Arms (2)

Sensory-Assisted Neuromuscular Exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

Sensory-assisted neuromuscular exercise, three sessions per week for 8 weeks.

Other: Electrical stimulation

Electrical Stimulation

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Electrical stimulation, three sessions per week for 8 weeks.

Other: Sensory-Assisted Neuromuscular Exercise

Interventions

Sensory-Assisted Neuromuscular Exercise OTHER

Sensory-assisted neuromuscular exercise, three sessions per week for 8 weeks.

Electrical Stimulation

Electrical stimulation OTHER

Electrical stimulation, three sessions per week for 8 weeks.

Sensory-Assisted Neuromuscular Exercise

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 40 Years - 60 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis, Kellgren-Lawrence Grade II or III
• Age 40 to 65 years
• Medically stable condition
• Willing to participate and able to provide written informed consent
• Able to understand and follow instructions
• Available to attend regular treatment sessions (three times weekly for 8 weeks)

You may not qualify if:

• Knee surgery or knee injury within the last six months
• Other musculoskeletal or neurological conditions affecting the lower limb
• Uncontrolled cardiovascular or metabolic disease
• Pregnancy
• Allergy or skin sensitivity preventing electrode application

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ziauddin University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Ziauddin University

Karachi, Sindh, 74600, Pakistan

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Osteoarthritis, Knee

Interventions

Electric Stimulation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Osteoarthritis; Arthritis; Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Rheumatic Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Physical Stimulation; Investigative Techniques

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: principal investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 15, 2026
• First Posted: October 23, 2026
• Study Start: February 1, 2021
• Primary Completion: January 12, 2026
• Study Completion: February 12, 2026
• Last Updated: October 23, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)