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Completed

NCT Number: NCT00996398

Cold Water Immersion Does Not Reduce Knee Joint Position Sense in Healthy Participants: a Randomised Cross-over Trial

The aim of this project is to assess the effect of cold water immersion on knee joint re-positional sense in healthy subjects. Cryotherapy, in the form of cold water immersion, had previously been shown to improve athletic performance however, debate exists within the existing literature regarding whether proprioception, in the form or joint position sense, is effected post treatment.

Null hypothesis (H0): Water immersion has no effect on joint position sense (JPS).

Alternate hypothesis (H1): Water immersion has an effect on joint position sense.

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Key information

Conditions

Knee Joint Position Sense Knee Injuries Leg Injuries Wounds and Injuries

Age range

18 year–40 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Limerick

Limerick, Ireland

About this study

This was a prospective, randomised, cross-over design where volunteers acted as their own controls. The volunteers were immersed at two temperatures (detailed below) and these sessions were separated by six to ten days. The order of the testing was randomly assigned using a random number generator. Ethical approval of the design of this trial was gained from the University of Limerick's Research Ethics Committee and signed informed consent was gained from each participant before any data collection took place.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Healthy subjects between the ages of 18 and 40 who complete both a Par-Q test and sign an informed consent form.

Exclusion criteria

  • Potential subjects who do not complete a Par-Q questionnaire or provide written consent. Subjects with any ankle or knee injuries in the past twelve months.
  • Students who have a recent history of ear or vestibular conditions.
  • Subjects who will not be available to attend all sessions.
  • Subjects who are under the age of 18 or over the age of 40.
  • Subjects who aren't comfortable with being blind-folded or videotaped during testing.
  • Those who are sensitive to cold exposure or show signs of a contraindication to cryotherapy.

Treatment and study plan

Tepid water immersion

Other

28°C ± 1°C for the cold water immersion for 30 minutes to the level of the umbilicus

Primary outcomes

  1. Knee Joint Position Sense

    Time frame: 10 minutes pre and 5 minutes post immersion

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Limerick

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Cold Water Immersion Does Not Reduce Knee Joint Position Sense in Healthy Participants: a Randomised Cross-over Trial'

Important dates

Study start
2009
Primary completion
2009
Study completion
2009
First posted
Oct 16, 2009
Registry last updated
Oct 16, 2009

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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