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NCT Number: NCT04109638

Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) Therapy for Post-operative Pain Following Orthopedic Surgery

The primary objective of this study is to prospectively determine, at 10 days after orthopedic shoulder or knee surgery, if pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy is beneficial in reducing patient-reported post-operative pain, as measured by visual analog scale (VAS). The amount of pain medication taken daily and the physical function outcome scores after surgery and PEMF treatment will also be measured.

Recruiting

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Key information

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Stanford University

Redwood City, California, 94063, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Subjects may be male or female greater or equal to 18 years of age (≥ 18) at the time of consent.
  • Subjects who will be having shoulder or knee surgery are permitted.
  • Subject must not have used NSAIDs for one (1) week prior to surgery.

a. a. Low-dose aspirin (81 mg) is permitted.

  • Subject must be willing and able to participate in post-operative physical therapy exercises.
  • Subject must understand and be willing to sign the IRB-approved Informed Consent Document.

Exclusion criteria

  • Subject has a known collagen disorder such as, but not limited to, osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS).
  • Subject has a known inflammatory or autoimmune connective tissue disease such as, but not limited to, gout affecting the shoulder, scleroderma, SLE, rheumatoid disease, or calcific tendonitis of the shoulder.
  • Subject has a metabolic bone disease such as Paget's disease or osteomalacia as documented in the medical record.
  • Subject has a deltoid defect, deltoid palsy or any other pseudoparalysis.
  • Subject is diabetic.
  • Subject has HIV or hepatitis.
  • Subject has a diagnosis of fibromyalgia or other chronic pain syndrome.
  • Subject has shoulder or knee pain of unknown etiology.
  • Subject has had an active malignancy in the past 5 years OR has an active or on-going neoplastic disease, except for benign skin cancer(s).
  • Subject has undergone administration, within 30 days prior to surgery, of any type of corticosteroid (with the exception of asthma medications and ophthalmic medications), antineoplastic, immunostimulation or immunosuppressive agent.
  • Subject is septic, or has a local or systemic infection.
  • Subject has an admitted active substance abuse problem which includes recreational drugs and/or narcotics or a history of substance abuse where history is defined as "not under the care of a physician" for more than 5 years.

a. Prescriptive medical marijuana is not permitted, including CBD oils.

  • Subject consumes more than 14 (men) or 7 (women) standard drinks (alcoholic units) per week where a drink equals a 12 oz. beer, or a 5 oz. glass of wine, or a 1.5 oz. shot of liquor.
  • Subject is currently seeking or receiving worker's compensation for this injury or for an injury that has occurred more than 12 months prior to enrollment in this study or subjects who are currently in litigation or who have a history of litigation related to musculoskeletal diagnoses.
  • Subject has major mental illnesses including major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or dementia that would prevent them from following the protocol and/or independently completing the patient reported outcomes measures.
  • Subjects who have coexistent cervical spinal pathologies such as radiculopathies or myelopathies.
  • Subject has a mental or physical condition that would prevent them from complying with the study protocol.

Treatment and study plan

Endonovo SofPulse

Device

The active device emits PEMF signal whereas the placebo device does not emit a PEMF signal. The active device is on for 15 minutes at a time, every two hours, for 10 days.

Other names: Endonovo tPEMF Device

Primary outcomes

  1. Mean change from baseline in pain scores on the visual analog scale (VAS) at 10 days

    Time frame: 10 days

    The VAS is a subjective pain scale from 0 to 10, with 0 representing no pain.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Mean change from baseline in narcotic pain medicine use at 10 days

    Time frame: 10 days

    Pain medication will be documented every 24 hours.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Michelle Xiao, BS

CONTACT

[email protected]

6507230003

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Stanford University

Other

Collaborators

  • Endonovo

Registry information

Official study title

A Pilot Prospective, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) Therapy in Decreasing Post-Operative Pain Following Orthopedic Surgery

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Sep 30, 2019
Registry last updated
Jan 21, 2026

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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