The Effect of PEMF for Patients With Knee OA
Unknown statusNot applicableNCT05548712
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This study has no listed site in Canada in this snapshot. It is included as part of the worldwide chronic pain corpus.
Brief summary (from the registry)
Health care costs are increasing alarmingly, which will impose an overwhelming economic burden to an aging society like that of Hong Kong. For example, degenerative musculoskeletal disorders such as osteoarthritis (OA) present a grand challenge with its high prevalence (\>40% in the elderly suffered from knee OA). OA is a debilitating progressive disease with typical symptoms such as acute pain causing loss of mobility Currently there is no cure for OA. Pharmacological treatment and new regenerative technologies such as stem cell therapy are actively being developed, but most of these options are very expensive per se, and side effects are not uncommon. Costeffectiveness is also a major consideration for devising new therapeutic modalities for OA. There are emerging evidences showing that pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) can modulae mitochondrial activities for muscle gain. PEMF exposure on top of regular exercise training may promote muscle regeneration and tissue healing. This study aims to conduct a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial to investigate the effect of PEMF treatment on knee pain in patients with knee OA. We hypothesize that PEMF treatment is effective to relief in pain and improve knee function in Knee OA subjects. Based on the aim of this study, older adult patients (aged 50 or above) with knee OA with Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2-4 by X-ray, have sedentary lifestyle (Tegner activity level less or equal to 3), no acute knee injuries in past 12 months, no muscle strain in past 12 months and not degenerative joint disease in other joints except the involved knee. To estimate the improvement of patients, isometric quadricep muscle strength, posture assessment, serum myokine level, serum vitamin D level and selfreported outcome with questionnaires will be performed.
Study details
- Official title
- A Double-Blinded, Randomized-Control-Trial to Investigate the Effect of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) for Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis
- Conditions
- Interventions
- Device: Pulse Electromagnetic Field
- Device: Sham Pulse Electromagnetic Field
- Sponsor
- Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Start date
- 2022-05-05
- Primary completion
- 2024-09-15
- Sex
- All
- Age range
- from 50 Years
- Healthy volunteers
- true
- Results posted
- No results posted in this snapshot
- Countries
- Hong Kong
- Total sites listed
- 1
Eligibility criteria
Show eligibility criteria (verbatim from the registry)
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age 50 or above 2. knee OA with Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2-4 by X-ray 3. Sedentary lifestyle (Tegner activity level ≤ 3) 4. No acute knee injuries in past 12 months 5. No muscle strain in past 12 months 6. No degenerative joint diseases in other joints except the involved knee Exclusion Criteria: 1. Age smaller than 50 years old 2. Experienced any concomitant bone fracture, ACL injury, major meniscus injury 3. Any rheumatological diseases 4. Metal implants that would cause interference on MRI 5. Previous contralateral knee injury 6. Recent knee injections (prior 3 months) 7. Physical inability to undertake testing procedures 8. Pregnancy or possibility of pregnancy
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov (US National Library of Medicine), snapshot October 2026. Check the registry for current recruiting status. Record: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05548712