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Patellofemoral Pain SyndromeNCT02243332

Dynamic Quadriceps Muscle Stimulation for Treatment of Patellofemoral Pain

A study testing KneeStim mobile rehabilitation assistance device in people with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome and Anterior Knee Pain Syndrome, run by Articulate Labs at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of this small, pilot study is to evaluate a novel device that uses neuromuscular electrical stimulation to assist quadriceps muscles as a user walks. This study will involve use of this device on individuals with patellofemoral pain, a relatively common injury among active people, to see if quadriceps… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 40 years, women only
What is being tested?
KneeStim mobile rehabilitation assistance device
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
20 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Sep 2014to Mar 2017
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 40 years
  • Women only
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Aged 18-40 years
  • Symptomatic PFPS on Patella Glide Test, Patella Tilt Test, and Patellar Apprehension Test.

Who cannot join

  • Rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory arthritis as assessed by licensed physician
  • Use of walking aids other than a cane more than 50% of the time in ambulation
  • Diagnosed knee disorder other than patellofemoral syndrome
  • Pacemaker use, unstable angina, or decompensated heart failure
  • Knee replaced in preceding 12 months or replacement planned within 6 months
  • Moderate to severe dementia
Show all 11Show fewer
  • Pregnancy (self report)
  • Altered sensation at the knee such that the patient is unable to perceive the presence of pinprick.
  • Use of intra-articular viscosupplementation or steroid injection within preceding 2 months.
  • Use of chronic anticoagulation medication.
  • Movement-limiting pain in the back, hip, ankle, or foot of either lower limb.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Developmental Motor Control Lab; University of Texas at Austin

    Austin, Texas, 78712

Other trials in United States

About this study

The purpose of this small, pilot study is to evaluate a novel device that uses neuromuscular electrical stimulation to assist quadriceps muscles as a user walks. This study will involve use of this device on individuals with patellofemoral pain, a relatively common injury among active people, to see if quadriceps stimulation could mitigate disparities in quadriceps activation timing that may indirectly lead to knee pain.

Read the detailed description

The interventional device will be tested with 20 women aged 18-40 with evidence of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) and without any co-morbidities that would confound data or contraindications for NMES use. All participants will be enrolled at a single site (Developmental Motor Lab at the University of Texas), and all of a single participant's testing will be complete within a single day with no requirement for follow-up or long-term participation. Participants will have their gait and quadriceps muscle activation patterns evaluated through four six-minute walk tests (6MWT). The first 6MWT will be without a device, second with a device worn but not activated, third with a device activated and stimulating quadriceps musculature, and the fourth without a device.

Primary Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether electrical stimulation of the vastus medalis (VM) and/or vastus lateralis (VL) to establish coactivation of these muscles during terminal swing phase impacts severity of PFPS symptoms

Secondary Objectives: Secondary purposes for this study include evaluating KneeStim and seeing if there is any evidence of proof of concept in two main areas:

KneeStim as a therapeutic device that may assist individuals with joint rehabilitation KneeStim's on-board operating system and motion tracking system as an effective way to monitor joint kinematics.

This pilot study has a prospective, controlled, single-center design. Participants and investigators will not be blinded to the treatment. Individuals who evaluate the motion-tracking data between VICON and KneeStim will not be informed which data set aligns with which treatment.

Being tested
KneeStim mobile rehabilitation assistance device
Keywords
Knee, Pain, Joint, Rehabilitation, Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, Anterior Knee Pain Syndrome, Knee Pain, Quadriceps
Medical subject headings
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, Pain

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • KneeStim mobile rehabilitation assistance deviceDevice

    Also called KneeStim

    KneeStim is a neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) device that integrates motion-tracking hardware like three-axis accelerometers and a real-time operating system to enable quadriceps muscle stimulation in time with user gait. It is a completely non-invasive device that looks like a light brace and fastens to the user's quadriceps and gastrocnemius muscles. The end goal of this device is to assist with muscle re-strengthening and re-education during a user's everyday activities.

Study groups in NCT02243332
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Device (rehabilitation assistance)ExperimentalDevice: KneeStim mobile rehabilitation assistance device
Receives: Device: KneeStim mobile rehabilitation assistance device

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Measured Quadriceps Musculature Co-Contraction

    Electromyographic (EMG) readings of vastus lateralis and vastus medialis contraction patterns will be taken after four six-minute walk tests (6MWTs) to evaluate any short-term changes in co-contraction.

    6MWT #1: Without interventional device being worn; 6MWT #2: With interventional device being worn, but unpowered; 6MWT #3: With interventional device being worn and operational; 6MWT #4: Without interventional device being worn

    The time period in which a partipant will be involved is not expected to exceed 90 minutes.

    Measured: 20, 40, 60, 80 minutes from start of single-day testing

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Anterior Knee Pain

    Measured with Anterior Knee Pain Scale (AKPS) after each Six Minute Walk Test.

    Measured: 20, 40, 60, 80 minutes from start of single-day testing

  2. Device Joint Model Accuracy

    The interventional device uses an on-board operating system that determines stimulation timing and location based on modeled joint kinematics. Movement data will be taken from the device and evaluated against movement data measured by a VICON motion-tracking system during each six-minute walk test to evaluate the accuracy of the device's modeled joint kinematics.

    Measured: 20, 40, 60, 80 minutes from start of single-day testing

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted17 Sep 2014 (estimated)
  2. Study startSep 2014
  3. Primary completionMar 2017
  4. Study completionMar 2017

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
20 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02243332
Sponsor's protocol ID
ALI-KS-001
Status last verified
Jun 2017
First submitted
12 Sep 2014
Last updated
27 Jun 2017
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing KneeStim mobile rehabilitation assistance device in people with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome and Anterior Knee Pain Syndrome, run by Articulate Labs at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 11 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 Jun 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Measured Quadriceps Musculature Co-Contraction (time frame: 20, 40, 60, 80 minutes from start of single-day testing). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 27 Jun 2017.

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