ClinicalTrials.gg
TerminatedNCT03339492RCStimUpdated Aug 30, 2023

PEMF as Adjunctive Treatment Following Surgical Repair of Full Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears

An interventional study of RCStim Model 1114 in Full-thickness Rotator Cuff Tear, sponsored by Orthofix Inc.. Terminated at 23 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 21 Years to 80 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-08-30.

Sponsored by Orthofix Inc. · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Why this study was terminated
Interim results suggested that the study was not adequately powered to achieve the primary endpoint: superiority in retear rate reduction in PEMF treatment versus placebo.

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was Dec 2022, 3 years 10 months ago, and no results have been posted to the registry.

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Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
377
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
21 Years to 80 Years
Sex
All
01

Where this study stands

Counted across the records on this site · 2026-11-13

Among 168 studies in Rotator Cuff Injuries with a site in United States — 40 open to participants now, 50 under way, none of them phase 3. Rotator Cuff Injuries · United States.

Enrollment
2nd of 130
377 · median 60
Started
2018
with 12 others
No phase
86 of 168
21 open now
Registered
53rd of 168
by date

Among the 168 studies in Rotator Cuff Injuries with a site in United States, this one is the 2nd largest by enrollment of the 130 interventional ones that give a count, is one of 13 that started in 2018, is one of 86 with no phase, and was the 53rd registered.

Rotator Cuff Injuries

631 studies on the registry are indexed under Rotator Cuff Injuries; 156 are open to participants now.

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Open to participants now

40 of the 168 studies in Rotator Cuff Injuries with a site in United States are open now. Recruiting first, the newest first:

35 more — sign in →

All 40 open studies →

A study can be open while its sites in United States have not opened yet or have stopped. Only those recruiting at a site in United States →

Who these studies take

Of the 100 Rotator Cuff Injuries studies recruiting now, 40 (40%) set no upper age limit and 41 (41%) stop at 75 or younger; 9 take children under 18; 10 take healthy volunteers.

This study: 21 Years to 80 Years · all sexes · no healthy volunteers.

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02

Study summary

The primary objective of this study is to prospectively determine, at 12 months post-surgical repair of full thickness rotator cuff tears, the safety and efficacy of treating full thickness rotator cuff repairs with pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF). The hypothesis states that exposure to a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) following surgical repair of a full thickness rotator cuff tendon tear reduces tendon re-tear rates. The strength of the shoulder muscles and the levels of pain in subjects after surgical repair of their rotator cuff adjunctively treated with an active PEMF device will also be measured.

Read the detailed description

This Clinical Investigation Plan (CIP) describes the prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy as an adjunctive treatment to surgical repair of full thickness rotator cuff tears.

Rotator cuff tears are common musculoskeletal injuries which often require surgical intervention. Unfortunately, post-repair prognosis is poor, and surgical repairs have been reported to fail in up to 94% of cases (Galatz et. al., 2004). Repaired tissue tends to be fibrotic, disorganized, and reattaches poorly to the bony insertion. To improve tendon-to-bone healing, many non-invasive therapeutic devices have been utilized post-operatively including therapeutic ultrasound and shock wave therapy (Lovric et. al., 2013; Springer and Badgett, 2015).

In orthopedics, the use of these non-invasive therapeutic devices has become increasingly popular during the post-operative recovery period in an effort to enhance tissue healing. These devices are relatively inexpensive and easily obtainable and relatively easy to use, and are especially enticing as they can be brought into the patient's home and do not require frequent visits to the clinic. Additionally, non-invasive therapeutic devices can be used for a variety of applications, including promoting tissue healing prior to surgical intervention or in lieu of surgical intervention all together. Although there are numerous advantages to using non-invasive therapeutic devices, their efficacy has not yet been maximized.

Based on the pre-clinical work presented (Tucker et. al., 2016; Huegel et. al., 2017), it is believed that pulsed electromagnetic fields may be an effective adjunctive treatment for patients who have undergone surgical repair of a torn rotator cuff.

03

Conditions studied

  • Full-thickness Rotator Cuff Tear

Browse trials for

Keywords

  • rotator cuff
  • PEMF
  • Pulsed Electromagnetic Field
  • Rotator Cuff Repair
  • adjunctive therapy
04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
21 Years to 80 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  1. Subject may be male or female between 21 years of age and 80 years of age at the time of consent.
  2. Subject must have a repairable (≥1 and ≤ 5 cm in the AP direction) full thickness tear of either the supraspinatus tendon or both the supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons, as determined by MRI and confirmed intra-operatively (pre-debridement) during the surgical repair of the rotator cuff using a calibrated probe.

    a. Subjects who do not meet this criterion will be considered screen failures.

  3. This must be the first rotator cuff repair surgery on the study shoulder with the following exceptions:

    1. Previous repairs of the teres minor and/or the subscapularis muscles are permitted.
    2. Previous acromioplasties, decompressions, and clavicular fracture repairs are permitted.
    3. Concurrent acromioplasties, subacromial decompressions and/or distal clavicular excisions are permitted.
    4. Concurrent fracture repairs or reconstructions are NOT permitted.
    5. Biceps tenodesis or tenotomy (open or closed) are permitted.
  4. Subject must not have used NSAIDs for one (1) week prior to surgery.
  5. Subjects must agree NOT to use NSAIDS suring the first 6 weeks of the study. Low dose aspirin (81 mg) is permitted.
  6. Subject must be willing and able to participate in post-operative physical therapy exercises.
  7. Subject must be willing and able to follow all study procedures and return for all study visits.
  8. Subject must have reliable access to any iOS device using iOS v.9.3 or later or an Android device with WiFi access for downloading the free device-specific app.
  9. Subject must understand and be willing to sign the IRB-approved Document.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Subject has a tear \<1cm or >5cm in size measured intraoperatively, pre-debridement, using a calibrated probe.

    a. Subjects who do not meet this criterion will be considered screen failures.

  2. Subject has a > 45.
  3. Subject has a pacemaker or defibrillator.
  4. Subject is not able to or is unwilling to have an MRI on the study shoulder.
  5. Subject requires assistive devices to walk such as crutches or walkers.
  6. Subject has a rotator cuff tear in which the subscpularis tendon requires repair.

    a. Biceps tenodesis or tenotomy (open or closed) is allowed.

  7. Subject has a Fuchs score grade of 3 for fatty infiltration on any of the rotator cuff muscles.

    Grade 1: Normal muscle, no or some fatty streaks Grade 2: Moderately pathologic muscle; more muscle than fat Grade 3: Advanced degeneration; as much muscle as fat or less muscle than fat

  8. Subject has moderate to severe arthritis based on preoperative imaging or as judged at the time of arthroscopy.

    1. Pre-operative x-ray findings consistent with Grade 3 or Grade 4 glenohumeral arthritis, where the grades are defined as follows:

      Grade 1: doubtful narrowing of joint space and possible osteophytic lipping; Grade 2: definite osteophytes and definite narrowing of joint space; Grade 3: moderate multiple osteophytes and definite narrowing of joint space and some sclerosis and possible deformity of bone contour.

      Grade 4: bone on bone morphology

    2. Intra-operative exposed subchondral bone involving >= 50% of either the humeral head, glenoid or both.
  9. Subject has a known collagen disorder such as, but not limited to, osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS).
  10. Subject has a known inflammatory or connective tissue disease such as, but not limited to, gout affecting the shoulder, scleroderma, SLE, rheumatoid disease, or calcific tendonitis of the shoulder.
  11. Subject has a metabolic bone disease such as Paget's disease or osteomalacia.

    a. Subjects with osteoporosis are not excluded from the study.

  12. Subject has a deltoid defect, deltoid palsy or any other pseudoparalysis.
  13. Subject has , hepatitis, or has had an active in the past 5 years.
  14. Subject has had previous rotator cuff repairs or repairs of the labrum.

    a. See Inclusion Criterion #3 for permitted surgeries.

  15. Subject has a diagnosis of fibromyalgia or other chronic pain syndrome.
  16. Subject has shoulder pain of unknown etiology.
  17. Subject has an active or on-going neoplastic disease, except for benign skin cancer(s).
  18. Subject has undergone administration, within the last 30 days, of any type of (with the exception of asthma medications and ophthalmic medications), antineoplastic, immunostimulation or agent.
  19. Subject is septic or has a local or systemic infection.
  20. 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.

  21. 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.
  22. Subject is currently seeking or receiving worker's compensation for this injury or for an injury that has occurred more than12 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.
  23. Subject has a major mental illnesses including major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or dementia that would prevent them from following the protocol and/or independently completeing the patient reported outcomes measures.
  24. Subjects who have coexistent cervical spinal pathologies such as radiculopathies or myelopathies.
  25. Subject has a mental or physical condition that would prevent tem from complying with the study protocol.
  26. Subject has any other condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would prevent them from completing the study.
  27. Subject is a prisoner.
  28. Subject has participated in another clinical trial within the last 90 days. a. The last study visit attended by the subject starts the 90 day window.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(7)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

BMI (body mass index)

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.

What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.

Autoimmune disease

A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.

Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

Cancer (malignancy)

Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.

Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.

Corticosteroids (steroids)

Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.

Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.

Immunosuppression

A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.

Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
377 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Active PEMF

    Subjects have 2 out of 3 chance to get the active device which emits a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) from the RCStim Model 1114 device (right and left side models available). Double-blind randomization.

    Device: RCStim Model 1114

  • Sham comparator
    Control/placebo PEMF

    Subjects have a 1 out of 3 chance to get the control/placebo device which does not emit a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) from the RCStim Model 1114 device (right and left side models available). Double-blind randomization.

    Device: RCStim Model 1114

Interventions

  • DeviceRCStim Model 1114

    Active device emits PEMF signal; placebo/control device does not emit PEMF signal

    Also known as: Orthofix rotator cuff soft tissue stimulator

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. retear rate

    A reduction in retear rates in subjects adjunctively treated with PEMF compared with those treated with a placebo (inactive) RCStim PEMF device following surgical repair of full thickness rotator cuff tears.

    Time frame: 12 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Muscle Strength

    Strength to be measured using the IsoForceEvo2 dynamometer in subjects treated with PEMF treated and compared with subjects receiving the placebo/control PEMF device

    Time frame: 12 months

  2. Penn Shoulder Score

    100 point scale with three subscales (pain, satisfaction, function) where a 12 pt increase in score with time after PEMF treatment is minimally clinically significant

    Time frame: 12 months

07

Study locations

23 sites
  • The CORE Institute
    Phoenix, Arizona 85023, United States
  • Stanford University
    Redwood City, California 94063, United States
  • UCSF Orthopedics
    San Francisco, California 94158, United States
  • Sabesan Orthopedics Research
    Atlantis, Florida 33462, United States
  • Coastal Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
    Bradenton, Florida 34209, United States
  • Holy Cross Hospital
    Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33334, United States
  • Andrews Institute
    Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561, United States
  • Cleveland Clinic Florida
    Weston, Florida 33331, United States
  • Rush University Medical Center
    Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
  • Univ. of Maryland Dept of Orthopedics
    Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
  • Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
    Baltimore, Maryland 21215, United States
  • Univ of Michigan Orthopedic Sports Medicine Program
    Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106, United States
  • Univ Orthopedics Associates at Great Neck
    Great Neck, New York 11021, United States
  • Wake Forest Baptist Health
    Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, United States
  • Cincinnati Sports Medicine
    Cincinnati, Ohio 45242, United States
  • Univ. of Pennsylvania Orthopedics
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
  • The Rothman Institute
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, United States
  • University Orthopedics Center
    State College, Pennsylvania 16801, United States
  • South Carolina Sports Medicine and Orthopedics
    North Charleston, South Carolina 29406, United States
  • The Campbell Clinic
    Germantown, Tennessee 38138, United States
  • Deutsch Shoulder
    Houston, Texas 77401, United States
  • Atlantic Orthopedics
    Virginia Beach, Virginia 23456, United States
  • Jordan-Young Research Institute
    Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462, United States
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Ran from Jan 2018 to primary completion in Dec 2022, 59 months.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Oct 31, 2017
First posted
Nov 13, 2017
StartActual
Jan 15, 2018
Primary completionActual
Dec 31, 2022
CompletionActual
Dec 31, 2022
Last update
Aug 30, 2023
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 30, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03339492
Lead sponsor
Orthofix Inc.
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Nov 13, 2017
Start date
Jan 15, 2018
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2022
Completion
Dec 31, 2022
Last update
Aug 30, 2023

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is terminated, as verified in Aug 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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