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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03995446

Low-level Laser Acupuncture Reduces Postoperative Pain and Morphine-related Side Effects in Patients With Total Knee Arthroplasty:

Total knee arthroplasty is a common and effective surgical procedure for patients with end-stage knee osteoarthritis, and wound pain is still a problem for many of the patients.

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Key information

Age range

60 year–95 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Taipei Veteran General Hospital : Taipei City, Taiwan 11217, R.O.C.

Taipei, 11217, Taiwan

About this study

Therefore, the purpose of this study was to apply low level laser therapy Measured variables included postoperative pain intensity, patient-controlled analgesia requirements, side effects caused by morphine, knee stiffness and wound pain in the daily activities of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Data were collected between April 2018 and January 2019. Eighty-two knee osteoarthritis patients receiving total knee arthroplasty were recruited from one hospital and randomly, equally assigned to the laser acupuncture or control group. The LA group received the low-level laser therapy with 3 joules at each acupuncture point at Hour 2, Hour 6, Hour 10, Hour 24, Hour 48, and Hour 72 after surgery; whereas the control group received the same manner except for joule.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • age 60 years or older
  • American Sociological Association (ASA) class I-III
  • spinal anesthesia, consent to patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) and peripheral nerve block (PNB)
  • return to the ward directly from the anesthesia recovery room.

Exclusion criteria

  • cutaneous lesions at the application sites
  • use of taking immunosuppressive agents
  • received intra-articular steroid treatment
  • opiate dependence
  • sensitive to light
  • epilepsy
  • clinically significant cardiovascular diseases
  • cancer
  • systemic lupus erythematosus.

Treatment and study plan

Low-level laser

Device

low level laser emission on specific acupuncture points

sham laser

Device

Sham laser

Primary outcomes

  1. The Numerical Rating Scale (NRS)

    Time frame: the first 72 hours after the surgery

    NRS was assessed pain intensity, ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable).higher scores, higher pain.

  2. Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)

    Time frame: the first 72 hours after the surgery

    The patients answered or pointed their pain on 0-to-10 scales (0=no pain, 10=extreme pain) at the time of responding to the BPI(current pain), and also at the items of "the most severe pain", "the least pain", and "the average pain" in the last 24 hours. Using the BPI, patients were also asked to rate pain-related interference in daily activities, including general activity, mood, walking ability, normal work, relations with other people, sleeping, and enjoyment of life. The anchor points, in each items of interference scale, were 11-point NRSs (0=no interference, 10=interferes completely).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan

Other Gov

Registry information

Official study title

Low-level Laser Acupuncture Reduces Postoperative Pain and Morphine-related Side Effects in Patients With Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2018
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2019
First posted
Jun 24, 2019
Registry last updated
Jun 24, 2019

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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