Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT07174167

Genicular Nerve Block in Chronic Knee Osteoarthritis

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether genicular nerve block (GNB) is effective in reducing pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis. It will also assess the comparative efficacy of different injection protocols.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does genicular nerve block with corticosteroid and local anesthetic provide superior pain relief compared with local anesthetic alone or placebo?

Are there differences in clinical outcomes between the three treatment groups?

Researchers will compare three groups:

GNB with corticosteroid plus local anesthetic

GNB with local anesthetic alone

Sham procedure with saline (placebo control)

Participants will:

Receive the assigned injection protocol in accordance with their group

Be evaluated at baseline and scheduled follow-up visits for pain intensity and functional status

Report their pain scores and functional limitations using standardized assessment tools

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Gonarthrosis; Primary Arthritis Genicular Nerve Block Gonarthritis Joint Diseases Musculoskeletal Diseases Neurologic Manifestations Osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis, Knee Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Rheumatic Diseases Signs and Symptoms

Age range

45 year–75 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital

Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • age between 45 and 75
  • diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis (OA) according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria
  • possessing a Kellgren-Lawrence radiological grade of 2-3

Exclusion criteria

  • any joint injection to the target knee in the past 3 months
  • physical therapy for the target knee within the last 3 months
  • previous knee surgery
  • inflammatory rheumatic diseases
  • active lumbar radiculopathy on the same side
  • neurological disorders (e.g., Alzheimer's or dementia)
  • uncontrolled cardiopulmonary diseases
  • pregnancy or lactation
  • obesity (body mass index [BMI] >35)
  • presence of a pacemaker
  • active malignancy

Treatment and study plan

Genicular nerve block with prilocaine

Drug

ultrasound guided genicular nerve block (GNB) injecting 6 mL of 2% prilocaine to the genicular nerves

Other names: group 1

genicular nerve block with prilocaine and triamcinolone

Drug

ultrasound guided genicular nerve block (GNB) injecting 5 mL of 2% prilocaine in combination with 1 mL/40 mg of triamcinolone to the genicular nerves

Other names: group 2

Sham injection

Drug

placebo injection using 6 mL of 0.9% saline to knee region other than genicular nerves

Other names: group 3

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain intensity

    Time frame: at baseline, 1 week, and 1 month after treatment

    Visual Analog Scale (VAS): The VAS assesses pain intensity on a 10-centimeter scale. Patients indicate their pain levels using two verbal descriptors at the end of each scale.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Functional status using WOMAC

    Time frame: baseline, 1 week, and 1 month after treatment

    The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) questionnaire assessed pain and disability.

  2. Functional status using 40-Meter Fast Walking Test

    Time frame: at baseline, 1 week, and 1 month after treatment

    40-Meter Fast Walking Test: This test involved a designated 10-meter walking track. Patients walked at their maximum pace for four laps. No warm-up was conducted, and the time spent turning at the lines was excluded from the calculation

  3. Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT)

    Time frame: baseline, 1 week, and 1 month after treatment

    Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT): The Commander Algometer (JTECH Medical, Utah, USA) was utilized to measure PPT at both the medial and lateral sides of the patella. The probe tip of the algometer was applied perpendicularly to the skin, and pressure was gradually increased. Patients indicated when they first experienced discomfort, at which point the measurement was recorded. This procedure was repeated three times, and the average value was noted.

Other outcomes

  1. Ultrasound evaluation

    Time frame: baseline

    Ultrasound measurements were taken to assess patellofemoral cartilage thickness and quadriceps muscle thickness

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effectiveness of Genicular Nerve Block on Pain and Disability in Chronic Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Acronym: GNB-KOA-RCT

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Sep 15, 2025
Registry last updated
Nov 28, 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.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.