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NCT Number: NCT05877027

Exercise vs. Topical Diclofenac vs. PRP

Osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, is a chronic and degenerative joint disease. It has been reported to affect more than 300 million adults and elderly individuals worldwide. The joint most commonly affected by osteoarthritis is the knee joint and this condition is called gonarthrosis.

The goal of treatment is to reduce symptoms and ultimately slow the progression of the disease with various treatment options throughout the course of the disease.Current clinical studies prepared by the working groups of the International Osteoarthritis Research Society (OARSI) and the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO) According to the guidelines, treatment typically includes physiotherapy interventions with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and analgesics, including intra-articular injections of corticosteroids. Exercise-oriented physiotherapy is one of the main approaches for the conservative treatment of gonarthrosis. The curative clinical effect of exercise therapy on pain and functional disability in gonarthrosis is important.

The use of PRP in the treatment of gonarthrosis is based on the ability of platelets to release biologically active proteins and promote tissue healing. Since the cartilage tissue mainly affected in gonarthrosis has low healing potential, this feature of platelets becomes more important for the target tissue. Existing studies show that PRP is superior to hyaluronic acid in intermediate and initial gonarthrosis; on the other hand, less satisfactory results are reported in severe gonarthrosis, similar to viscosupplementation.

Topically or orally administered NSAIDs form the backbone of pharmacological treatment in gonarthrosis.

It is seen that both exercise, PRP and topical NSAID agents are among the recommendations in the treatment of gonarthrosis. However, there is insufficient evidence regarding the superiority and therapeutic efficacy of these three treatment approaches. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of "exercise", "PRP" and "NSAID-specific topical agents" in the treatment of patients with gonarthrosis; pain, function, quality of life, and patient satisfaction.

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Key information

Conditions

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

Age range

40 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa

Istanbul, 34500, Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Voluntary participants who have been diagnosed with gonarthritis will be included in the study. Signed voluntary consent will be obtained from participants. Participants will be divided into tree groups. Study groups will be as follows: a) exercise, b) topical diclofenac, c) platalet-rich-plasma (PRP).

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Diagnosed with gonarthrosis according to the criteria of the American Society of Rheumatology (ACR)
  • Stage 2 or 3 according to Kellgren Lawrence radiological staging criteria,
  • Those between the ages of 40 and 65,
  • Body mass index below 30 kg/m2,
  • Pain intensity defined by the patient in the last 3 months is at least 3 out of 10 according to NPRS,
  • Patients who do not have any barriers to being included in the exercise program

Exclusion criteria

  • Being in stage 4 according to Kellgren Lawrence radiological staging criteria,
  • Hemoglobin level <11.5 g/dL
  • Platelet level <100,000/μL
  • Thrombocytopenia, coagulopathy, crystal arthropathy, hemophilia or hematological malignancy,
  • Presence of active infection or tumor,
  • Chronic antiaggregant use or taking immunosuppressive therapy,
  • Pregnancy or lactation,
  • Viscosupplementation or steroid injection in the related knee in the last 3 months, or using systemic steroids,
  • To have received a physiotherapy program for the relevant knee in the last 3 months,
  • Having a valgus or varus deformity greater than 15°,
  • Presence of neurological diseases and/or deformity leading to lower extremity muscle weakness
  • Having serious systemic and cardiovascular diseases that interfere with exercise

Treatment and study plan

Exercise

Other

The first 3 weeks of the exercise program will include range of motion exercises, isometric and isotonic strengthening exercises for the muscles around the knee and hip, and stretching exercises. In the following 3 weeks, resistance strengthening exercises and closed kinetic chain exercises will be added to the program.

Topical Diclofenac

Other

They will apply it around the knee joint 4 days a week, 2 times a day (every 12 hours), morning and evening for 6 weeks.

Platelet-Rich-Plasma (PRP)

Other

8 ml of blood will be taken from each patient in tubes containing 0.9 ml of 3.2% sodium citrate. Swing-out rotor (open-swing type) will be placed in the centrifuge with the tubes facing each other. After centrifugation, 2.5 cc of PRP product will be collected from each tube and the resulting PRP will be administered to patients by injection under sterile conditions.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change of Pain via Numeric Pain Rating Scale

    Time frame: change from baseline pain at 6 months

    On this scale, "0" indicates the absence of pain, and "10" indicates the most severe pain imaginable. Patients will be asked to rate the severity of their knee pain with a number between 0 and 10 using this scale. The minimum clinically significant difference value (MCID) of this valid and reliable pain scale is 1.74 points.

Secondary outcomes

  1. WOMAC

    Time frame: 4 times for 24 weeks

    WOMAC assesses the level of difficulty, pain and joint stiffness experienced by the patients during their physical functions. WOMAC score is a 5-point Likert-type scale, high scores indicate poor status and consist of a total of 24 questions.

  2. 40 meters fast walking test

    Time frame: 4 times for 24 weeks

    For 40mHYT, patients will be asked to walk as fast as possible on a flat and hard surface, on a 10-meter marked walking path. Walking time will be measured in seconds with a stopwatch. The test will be repeated three times and the arithmetic mean of these measurements will be recorded as the result value. Considering the age range of the patients, it was planned to allow a one-minute rest period between retests.

  3. Stepping Test

    Time frame: 4 times for 24 weeks

    Patients will be asked to climb 10 pre-marked 20 cm high steps as quickly as possible on a standard ladder. The test time will be measured in seconds with a stopwatch. The test will be repeated 3 times and the average value will be recorded in seconds. Similarly, in this evaluation, patients were given a one-minute rest period between 3 repetitions of the test.

  4. Joint Range of Motion Evaluation

    Time frame: 4 times for 24 weeks

    During the assessments, three repeat measurements will be made using an electronic goniometer. For goniometric measurement, the pivot point will be placed on the lateral condyle of the femur. The fixed arm will be held parallel to the lateral midline of the femur. The movable arm will follow the movement of the fibula.

  5. Health-Related Quality of Life Short Form-12 Scale (SF-12)

    Time frame: 4 times for 24 weeks

    SF-12 is the abbreviated version of the Short Form-36 (SF-36) Quality of Life Scale and is frequently preferred for ease of use. It has 2 components, physical and mental, scored between 0 and 50. A high score from the score indicates health-related well-being and increased quality of life, while a decrease indicates worsening.

  6. Global Rating of Change Scale-GRC

    Time frame: 4 times for 24 weeks

    It will be used to evaluate patient satisfaction. It is designed to determine the amount of improvement or worsening of the patient over time. In our study, GRC consisting of 5 levels between -2 and +2 value ranges (-2: I am much worse, -1: I am worse, 0: I am the same, 1: I am better, 2: I am much better) was preferred.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Comparison of Commonly Used Treatment Approaches in the Treatment of Gonarthrosis: Platelet-Rich Plasma, Topical Diclofenac, and Exercise

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
May 26, 2023
Registry last updated
Sep 4, 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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