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Patellar TendinitisNCT04682496

Ultrasound Probe Pressure on the Intratendon Doppler Signal in Patellar Tendinopathy

A study testing Intratendon vascularization in people with Patellar Tendinitis, run by Cardenal Herrera University at 1 site in Spain.

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

In the sports field, patellar tendinopathy is, as a pathology, one of the main concerns for athletes, both because of its incidence and because of the difficulty involved in their recovery. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 years
Conditions the study is for
Patellar Tendinitis
What is being tested?
Intratendon vascularization
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
30 participants
Where
1 siteSpain
Study dates
18 Dec 2020to 7 Feb 2023
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 65 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Acceptance of participation in the study.
  • Diagnosis of patellar tendinopathy with the presence of an intratendon Doppler signal.
  • Subjects between the ages of 18 and 65.

Who cannot join

  • Present some type of surgical intervention in the region to be explored that could alter in some way the ultrasound evaluation.
  • Refer vascular pathology or the intake of medication that may alter blood flow or density.
  • Having been treated with sclerosing techniques that can alter the perfusion or vascular resistance of the tendon tissue.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Spain1 site
  • Ceu Cardenal Herrera University

    Elche, Alicante, 03204

Other trials in Spain

About this study

Official title: Evaluation of the Influence of Ultrasound Probe Pressure on the Intratendon Doppler Signal in Patellar Tendinopathy

In the sports field, patellar tendinopathy is, as a pathology, one of the main concerns for athletes, both because of its incidence and because of the difficulty involved in their recovery. At the ultrasound level, tendinopathies can be divided, depending on the presence or absence of an intratendon Doppler signal, into hypervascular or hypovascular tendinopathy. Its classification is, today and clinically speaking, merely qualitative through the observation of the explorer. The ultrasound evaluation is carried out through a probe that is placed on the patient's skin, the procedure to be followed to obtain a vascular image is merely operator-dependent, that is, the position of the probe, the pressure exerted on the skin or even ultrasound optimization parameters can drastically modify the results.

Due to high pressure on the probe, the intratendon Doppler signal may be diminished in the quantitative variables of area, number of signals, pixel intensity, perimeter, solidity, perfusion index, circularity, major and minor diameter.

Read more

From a certain pressure on the probe, the intratendon Doppler signal can be drastically altered.

This study will try to evaluate the influence of the pressure exerted by the examiner with the probe on the quantitative variables of the intratendon Doppler signal in patellar tendinopathy.

To carry out the study, a single group with patellar tendinopathy will be established. Ultrasound evaluations with Doppler mode will be performed on the tendon using different probe pressures, monitoring the applied force and recording the images obtained for later analysis.

Being tested
Intratendon vascularization

What participants receive

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

  • Intratendon vascularizationProcedure or surgery

    Ultrasonic exploration by power-Doppler of the intratratendon vascularization, making longitudinal cuts of the patellar tendon and with previously pre-established Doppler optimization parameters for all patients. The optimization parameters of the power-Doppler signal will be set at a Doppler frequency of 6.7 MHz, pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 0.7 kHz. The lowest wall filter and a standardized gain just below the level that produces random noise will be applied. This examination will be repeated several times with different probe pressures, which will be quantitatively adjusted through the force sensor and maintained with the articulated arm. A 4-second static video will be recorded of the longitudinal section that presents a higher Doppler signal in each of the scans at different probe pressures.

Study groups in NCT04682496
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
intratendon vascularizationExperimentalIntratendon vascularization will be quantified using a proprietary methodology using ImageJ 1.47v image analysis software, determining the different variables related to the Doppler signal within an intratendon region of interest.
Receives: Procedure: Intratendon vascularization

What is being measured

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

  1. number of signals (n)

    number of intratendon doppler signals (unit)

    Measured: during intervention

  2. Average pixel intensity (0-255 Units on a scale)

    average pixel color intensity (0-255 Units on a scale)

    Measured: during intervention

  3. Area (mm^2)

    intratendon Doppler signal area (mm^2)

    Measured: during intervention

  4. Perimeter (mm)

    perimeter of the intratendon Doopler signal (mm)

    Measured: during intervention

  5. major diameter (mm)

    major diameter of the intratendon Doppler signal (mm)

    Measured: during intervention

  6. minor diameter (mm)

    minor diameter of the intratendon Doppler signal (mm)

    Measured: during intervention

  7. Circularity

    measure of roundness or circularity, area-to perimeter ratio. (0-1 Units on a scale)

    Measured: during intervention

  8. Solidity

    measures the density of an object (0-1 Units on a scale)

    Measured: during intervention

  9. Resistance index

    resistance index of intratendon Doppler signals (0-1 Units on a scale)

    Measured: during intervention

  10. Force

    force applied by the probe on the knee during the scan (N)

    Measured: during intervention

Secondary outcomes (8)
  1. Age (years)

    subject's age (years)

    Measured: Post-intervention

  2. Sex (female or male)

    subject's sex (female or male)

    Measured: post-intervention

  3. Time of evolution (months)

    time since the patient had the first symptoms (months)

    Measured: months

  4. Dominance

    Dominant leg (right-left)

    Measured: post-intervention

  5. Pain location

    Location of pain in the patellar tendon (lower pole of the patella-body of the tendon-insertion in the anterior tuberosity of the tibia)

    Measured: Immediately pre-intervention

  6. Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Patella (VISA-P)

    Knee pain and function rating scale (0-100 Units on a scale). The maximum score possible is 100 points and represents an asymptomatic athlete who can fully engage in sports. The theoretical minimum is 0 point. The test is carried out just before the intervention to relate the results of the Doppler quantification with the severity of the pain.

    Measured: Immediately pre-intervention

  7. hours of training (hours)

    Current training hours per week (hours). This question is asked just before the intervention in order to relate the results of the Doppler quantification with the hours of training performed

    Measured: Immediately pre-intervention

  8. Time without training (months)

    time without training (months). This question is asked just before the intervention.

    Measured: Immediately pre-intervention

Timeline

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

  1. First posted23 Dec 2020
  2. Study start18 Dec 2020
  3. Primary completion30 Aug 2022
  4. Study completion7 Feb 2023

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
Other
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
30 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04682496
Sponsor's protocol ID
CEI20/073
Status last verified
Feb 2023
First submitted
9 Dec 2020
Last updated
8 Feb 2023
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Hernandez-Sanchez S, Hidalgo MD, Gomez A. Cross-cultural adaptation of VISA-P score for patellar tendinopathy in Spanish population. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2011 Aug;41(8):581-91. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2011.3613. Epub 2011 Jul 12.

    PubMed 21765223
  • Dhyani M, Roll SC, Gilbertson MW, Orlowski M, Anvari A, Li Q, Anthony B, Samir AE. A pilot study to precisely quantify forces applied by sonographers while scanning: A step toward reducing ergonomic injury. Work. 2017;58(2):241-247. doi: 10.3233/WOR-172611.

    PubMed 28922185
  • Malliaras P, Chan O, Simran G, Martinez de Albornoz P, Morrissey D, Maffulli N. Doppler ultrasound signal in Achilles tendinopathy reduces immediately after activity. Int J Sports Med. 2012 Jun;33(6):480-4. doi: 10.1055/s-0032-1304636. Epub 2012 Apr 12.

    PubMed 22499574
  • Boesen AP, Boesen MI, Torp-Pedersen S, Christensen R, Boesen L, Holmich P, Nielsen MB, Koenig MJ, Hartkopp A, Ellegaard K, Bliddal H, Langberg H. Associations between abnormal ultrasound color Doppler measures and tendon pain symptoms in badminton players during a season: a prospective cohort study. Am J Sports Med. 2012 Mar;40(3):548-55. doi: 10.1177/0363546511435478. Epub 2012 Feb 9.

    PubMed 22328709

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Intratendon vascularization in people with Patellar Tendinitis, run by Cardenal Herrera University at 1 site in Spain.

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 3 inclusion and 3 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 8 Feb 2023. 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 Spain. 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?

number of signals (n) (time frame: during intervention). The study lists 10 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04682496, which also lists 4 linked publications.

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 8 Feb 2023.

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