Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Following Total Hip Arthroplasty

National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

Status: Completed

Conditions: Total Hip Arthroplasty; Deep Vein Thrombosis

Treatments: Device: Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01785251

EE-NMES-DVT-011

Details and patient eligibility

About

Patients post total hip arthroplasty (THA) remain at high risk of developing Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) during the recovery period following surgery despite the availability of effective pharmacological and mechanical prophylactic methods. The use of calf muscle neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) during the hospitalised recovery period on this patient group may be effective at preventing DVT. However, the haemodynamic effectiveness and comfort characteristics of NMES in post-THA patients immediately following surgery have yet to be established.

The main objectives are:

1. To establish if patients in the early post-operative period have tolerance for NMES.
2. To determine if applying NMES to patients immediately post-THA increases venous outflow from the lower limb over resting conditions.

Enrollment: 11 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 30 to 90 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty the previous day

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with Diabetes Mellitus
• Patients with Peripheral Vascular Disease
• Patients currently involved in another trial
• Previous diagnosis of DVT

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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11 participants in 1 patient group

NMES

Experimental group

Description:

Application of neuromuscular electrical stimulation to the calf muscles of the patient in order to elicit contraction of the calf muscle pump and thus, eject venous blood proximally.

Treatment:

Device: Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation