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Knee Osteoarthritis (OA)NCT07869771

The Effect of Pulsed Radiofrequency Ablation of the Genicular Nerve on Pain, Balance, and Proprioception in Patients With Chronic Knee Osteoarthritis

A study testing Genicular nerve block via radiofrequency ablation in people with Knee Osteoarthritis (OA) and Genicular Nerves Block, run by Ankara City Hospital Bilkent at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

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

Determination of the effect of ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency applied to the genicular nerve on pain, balance, and proprioception in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 45 to 80 years
What is being tested?
Genicular nerve block via radiofrequency ablation
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
28 participants
Where
1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
Study dates
24 Jan 2025to 30 Sep 2026
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 45 to 80 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age 45-80 years
  • Patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis according to American College of Rheumatology criteria and presenting with Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2 or 3 radiological osteoarthritis
  • Intact cognitive function
  • INR ≤1.2
  • Willingness to participate in the study and sign informed consent forms

Who cannot join

  • Presence of neurological and/or vestibular disease causing balance impairment
  • Physical therapy for knee osteoarthritis within the last 6 months
  • Glucocorticoid or hyaluronic acid injection within the last 6 months
  • Use of oral glucosamine
  • History of knee surgery
  • Existing neurological or mental disorders
Show all 18Show fewer
  • History of pacemaker use
  • Local infections or sepsis
  • Progressive neurological deficit
  • Oncological diseases
  • History of systemic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis
  • Clinically significant structural abnormalities-in addition to osteoarthritis-that affect movement and knee function and could cause chronic knee pain
  • Bleeding diathesis or INR >1.2
  • Uncontrolled diabetes or other serious internal comorbidities
  • Allergy to the medication or materials used
  • Pregnancy
  • Lack of cooperation
  • Refusal to participate in the study

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Turkey (Türkiye)1 site

  • Ankara Bilkent City Hospital

    Ankara

Other trials in Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Determination of the effect of ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency applied to the genicular nerve on pain, balance, and proprioception in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis

Read the detailed description

Surgical and non-surgical methods are used to treat knee osteoarthritis. Non-surgical treatments include patient education, self-management strategies, strengthening exercises, weight control, physical therapy, orthosis use, oral analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), steroids, hyaluronic acid, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, prolotherapy, stem cell therapy, and genicular nerve blocks. All of these aim to reduce pain, improve function, and delay the need for surgery.

The genicular nerve block is a recently developed treatment option for knee osteoarthritis that targets three sensory nerves of the knee-the superior lateral, superior medial, and inferior medial genicular nerves-to block pain transmission to the central nervous system. Unlike alternatives such as intra-articular treatments and surgery, the block procedure is performed outside the knee joint. Genicular nerve blockade via radiofrequency ablation appears to be an emerging alternative for patients for whom conservative and surgical treatments have proven insufficient. Radiofrequency ablation of the genicular nerve provides temporary relief for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, as it does not eliminate the potential for peripheral nerve regrowth and regeneration, and thus the recurrence of pain. Previous studies have also reported accidental falls in patients following genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation procedures. These findings have raised concerns that the genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation procedure may alter proprioception and impair balance. This study was conducted because there are a limited number of studies investigating the effects of genicular nerve block on pain and function in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis.

Being tested
Genicular nerve block via radiofrequency ablation
Keywords
radiofrequency ablation, genıcular nerve, nerve block, knee pain, balance, proprioception
Medical subject headings
Osteoarthritis, Knee

What participants receive

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

  • Genicular nerve block via radiofrequency ablationOther

    Also called Genicular nerve block, radiofrequency ablation

    The aim is to determine the effects on pain, balance, and proprioception following ultrasound-guided pulsed genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis.

Study groups in NCT07869771
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Patients diagnosed with chronic knee osteoarthritisExperimentalPatients aged 45-80 years diagnosed with chronic knee osteoarthritis according to American College of Rheumatology criteria and presenting with Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2 or 3 radiological osteoarthritis
Receives: Other: Genicular nerve block via radiofrequency ablation

What is being measured

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

  1. knee pain

    Zero is equivalent to no pain, and 10 indicates the worst possible pain.

    Measured: first month and third month

Secondary outcomes (2)

  1. balance

    The HUR SmartBalance BTG4 system will be used to measure both static and dynamic postural balance. An increase in the equilibrium value in percentage terms will indicate an improvement.

    Measured: first and third month

  2. proprioception

    The Biodex System 3 (Biodex Medical Systems, Shirley, NY, USA) isokinetic dynamometer will be used to measure proprioception. Patients' proprioceptive sense will be assessed at 15 and 45 degrees. Indicating how closely the patient-with eyes closed-can perceive the 15-degree and 45-degree angles will demonstrate the change in proprioception.

    Measured: first and third month

Timeline

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

  1. First posted13 Oct 2026
  2. Study start24 Jan 2025
  3. Primary completion30 Jun 2026
  4. Study completion30 Sep 2026

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
Model description
Patients aged 45-80 years diagnosed with chronic knee osteoarthritis and presenting with Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2 or 3 radiological osteoarthritis will be evaluated.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
28 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07869771
Sponsor's protocol ID
E2-24-9480
Status last verified
Oct 2026
First submitted
4 Oct 2026
Last updated
13 Oct 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • 1- Fibel KH, Hillstrom HJ, Halpern BC. Modern management of knee osteoarthritis. World J Clinic Cases. 2015; 3 :89-101. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v3.i2.89. 2- Cross M, Smith E, Hoy D, Nolte S, Ackerman I, Fransen M, et al. Global burden of hip and knee osteoarthritis: estimates from the global burden of disease 2010 study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2014; 73:1323-1330. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-204763. 3- van Doormaal MCM, Meerhoff GA, Vliet Vlieland TPM, Peter WF. Clinical practice guideline for physical therapy in patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis. Musculoskeletal Care. 2020; 18:575-595. doi: 10.1002/msc.1492. 4- Kesikburun S, Yaşar E, Uran A, Adıgüzel E, Yılmaz B. Ultrasound-guided genicular nerve pulsed radiofrequency therapy for painful knee osteoarthritis: a preliminary report. Pain Phys. 2016; 19 :E751-759. doi: 10.36076/ppj/2019.19.E751. 5- Deyle GD, Allison SC, Matekel RL, et al. Effectiveness of physical therapy treatment for knee osteoarthritis: a randomized comparison of supervised clinical exercise and manual therapy procedures versus a home exercise program. Physics Sweat. 2005; 85:1301-1317. doi: 10.1093/ptj/85.12.1301. 6- van Doormaal MCM, Meerhoff GA, Vliet Vlieland TPM, Peter WF. Clinical practice guideline for physical therapy in patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis. Musculoskeletal Care. 2020; 18:575-595. doi: 10.1002/msc.1492. 7- Dantas LO, Salvini TF, McAlindon TE. Knee osteoarthritis: basic treatments and implications for physical therapy. Braz J Phys Ther. 2021; 25 :135-146. doi: 10.1016/j.bjpt.2020.08.004. 8- Kim DH, Lee MS, Lee S, Yoon SH, Shin JW, Choi SS. Prospective study of the effectiveness of ultrasound and fluoroscopy-guided genicular nerve block for chronic knee osteoarthritis randomized comparison. Pain Phys. 2019; 22:139-146. 9- Crawford DC, Miller LE, Block JE. Conservative management of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: a flawed strategy? Orthopedic Rev (Pavia). 2013; 5 ( 1 ):e2.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Genicular nerve block via radiofrequency ablation in people with Knee Osteoarthritis (OA) and Genicular Nerves Block, run by Ankara City Hospital Bilkent at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

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 5 inclusion and 18 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 13 Oct 2026. 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 Turkey (Türkiye). 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?

knee pain (time frame: first month and third month). 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 NCT07869771, which also lists 1 linked publication.

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 13 Oct 2026.

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