Effect of NMES As an Add-On to Exercise Program in Degenerative Meniscus Tears

Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

Status: Completed

Conditions: Knee Pain Swelling; Degenerative Disease; Meniscus Tear

Treatments: Other: Exercise; Other: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06447129

216

Details and patient eligibility

About

This randomized-controlled trial aims to investigate the effect of NMES as an add-on to an exercise program in patients with degenerative meniscus tears.

Full description

To investigate the efficacy of NMES as an add-on to an exercise program, voluntary patients with degenerative meniscus tears, aged between 40 and 65 years, will be randomly divided into two groups: Group 1 (NMES with Exercise) and Group 2 (Exercise). Interventions will be applied for 16 sessions (twice a week for 8 weeks). The patients will be assessed at baseline and at the end of the 8-week intervention. The pain during activity, at rest, and at night will be assessed with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Active range of motion will be assessed with a digital goniometer. Isometric muscle strength will be measured with a handheld dynamometer. The functional status and symptoms will be evaluated by the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale. Health-related quality of life will be assessed with the Short Form-12 (SF-12).

Enrollment: 50 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 40 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Being aged between 40 and 65 years
• Having the degenerative meniscus tear in at least one knee
• Having body mass index in the range of 18-30 kg/m2
• Feeling the pain that lasts for at least 2 months
• Having grade 1 or grade 2 degenerative meniscal tear diagnosed by an orthopedic specialist according to the MRI results
• Having the ability to read and write Turkish

Exclusion criteria

• Having undergone arthroscopic partial meniscectomy surgery due to degenerative meniscal tear
• Participating in a physiotherapy program for degenerative meniscal tear in the last 12 weeks
• Have received steroid injections in the last 6 months
• Accompanying conditions such as injury to the surrounding ligaments, congenital anomaly in the affected knee, coxarthrosis and spinal stenosis
• Presence of any systemic disorder that may affect assessment parameters
• Failure to cooperate with assessments

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

---

50 participants in 2 patient groups

NMES with Exercise

Experimental group

Description:

Each subject in Group 2 will receive a treatment protocol consisting of stretching exercises, strengthening exercises, functional exercises for the knee and hip, and NMES application for the quadriceps femoris muscle.

Treatment:

Other: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation

Other: Exercise

Exercise

Active Comparator group

Description:

Each subject in Group 2 will receive a treatment protocol consisting of stretching exercises, strengthening exercises, functional exercises for the knee and hip.

Treatment:

Other: Exercise