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Completed

NCT Number: NCT06578663

Electrical Dry Needling Versus Iontophoresis in Treating Chronic Unilateral Knee Osteoarthritis

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the effects of electrical dry needling versus glucosamine sulfate iontophoresis on pain intensity level, functional ability, and knee range of motion in chronic unilateral knee osteoarthritis patients.

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Key information

Conditions

Osteoarthritis of Knee Arthritis Joint Diseases Musculoskeletal Diseases Osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis, Knee Rheumatic Diseases

Age range

40 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

out-patient clinic, faculty of physical therapy, Horus university

Damietta, Egypt

About this study

Knee Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic disease affecting 240 million people worldwide, with a higher prevalence in older adults. The disease leads to knee deformity, laxity, and ligament instability. Dry needling, a new treatment modality, uses needle electrodes to deliver an electric current to the pain-generating trigger point, improving the physiological effects and analgesic and anesthetic effects. Iontophoresis, a safer method of drug therapy, has shown to be more effective in pain reduction in knee osteoarthritic patients. The study aims to investigate the effect of electrical dry needling versus glucosamine sulfate iontophoresis on pain intensity level, knee function, and range of motion (ROM) in chronic knee OA patients. This approach aims to maximize drug bioavailability, optimize therapeutic efficacy, and minimize side effects.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • The patient will be selected from the outpatient clinic of physical therapy at Horus University, New Damietta, Egypt, diagnosed with a Kellgren/Lawrence grade 2,3 radiological severity of knee osteoarthritis (OA). and referred by an orthopedist.
  • Age will range from 40 to 60 years.
  • Body mass index will range from 25 to 29.9 kg/m2.
  • Duration of knee pain not less than 3 months prior to study .

Exclusion criteria

  • Patients with history of cardiac disorder with pacemaker.
  • Knee surgery.
  • Diabetes and nutritional disorder.
  • Neuromuscular and other musculoskeletal diseases.
  • Any red flags to dry needling, or conventional therapy.
  • Had received physical therapy, acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic, or intra-articular injections for the painful knee in the last 3 months.
  • Presented with positive neurological signs.

Treatment and study plan

Conventional physical therapy

Other

including transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and an exercise therapy program (stretching exercises, both hip and knee strengthening, balance, and stability exercise)

Electrical Dry Needling

Other

In electrical dry needling, needle electrodes are used to deliver an electric current to the taut muscle band or the pain-generating trigger point. Low-frequency currents are thought to improve the physiological effects of the therapy by using electrical stimulation to enhance certain physiological reactions and achieve a speedier analgesic and anesthetic effect than that obtained with standard dry needling.

Glucosamine sulfate iontophoresis

Other

Galvanic current mode will be used to deliver the cream through the skin. One gram of GS will be placed on positive electrode (being positively charged using Trans-arthral electrode placement technique) for administration of Iontophoresis [40mA-min (2mA x 20minutes)].

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain intensity level measurement

    Time frame: at baseline and after 6 weeks

    The visual analog scale (VAS) is a pain rating scale .A 10-cm line that represents a continuum between the two ends of the scale-"no pain" on the left end (0 cm) of the scale and the "worst pain" on the right end of the scale (10 cm)

  2. Functional ability measurement

    Time frame: at baseline and after 6 weeks

    Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome (KOOS) Score.A 0-100 scale, with zero express extreme knee problems and 100 for no knee problems, as common in orthopedic scales.

  3. Knee ROM measurement

    Time frame: at baseline and after 6 weeks

    A digital goniometer will be used to measure active knee ROM. The subject will be supine, flexing and extending their knee to the maximum. Bony landmarks will be identified for standardization and repeatability. The goniometer will be positioned over the lateral epicondyle of the femur, with the greater trochanter for reference. Measurements will be made three times, and the average value will be analyzed. Knee ROM measurements in patients with knee OA show high reliability.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Horus University

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2025
First posted
Aug 29, 2024
Registry last updated
Jul 15, 2025

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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