ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT03360500Updated Sep 27, 2024

Cryotherapy Associated With Exercise in Pain Control and Physical Function in Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis

An interventional study of EXERCISE PROTOCOL + CRYOTHERAPY and EXERCISE PROTOCOL in Osteoarthritis,Knee, sponsored by Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos. Completed at 1 site in Brazil. Open to participants aged 40 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-09-27.

Sponsored by Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
120
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
40 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Where this study stands

Counted across the records on this site · 2026-11-12

Among 79 studies in Osteoarthritis, Knee with a site in Brazil — 12 open to participants now, 13 under way, 2 of them phase 3. Osteoarthritis, Knee · Brazil.

Enrollment
16th of 77
120 · median 70
Started
2018
with 5 others
No phase
50 of 79
9 open now
Registered
47th of 79
by date
Lead sponsor
7 of 79
Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos

Among the 79 studies in Osteoarthritis, Knee with a site in Brazil, this one is the 16th largest by enrollment of the 77 interventional ones that give a count, is one of 6 that started in 2018, is one of 50 with no phase, and was the 47th registered.

Osteoarthritis, Knee

3,292 studies on the registry are indexed under Osteoarthritis, Knee; 623 are open to participants now.

Browse Osteoarthritis, Knee studies →

Open to participants now

12 of the 79 studies in Osteoarthritis, Knee with a site in Brazil are open now. Recruiting first, the newest first:

7 more — sign in →

All 12 open studies →

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

Who these studies take

Of the 382 Osteoarthritis, Knee studies recruiting now, 176 (46%) set no upper age limit and 113 (30%) stop at 75 or younger; 19 take children under 18; 39 take healthy volunteers.

This study: 40 Years to 75 Years · all sexes · no healthy volunteers.

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02

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to verify the effect of cryotherapy associated with an exercise protocol in pain control, function and quality of life in individuals with knee osteoarthritis

Read the detailed description

The purpose of this study is to verify the effect of cryotherapy associated with an exercise protocol in pain control, function and quality of life in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. This is a randomized controlled clinical trial, double-blinded. Will participate in the study 120 patients with knee osteoarthritis, diagnosed with clinical and radiographic criteria of the American College of Rheumatology, of both sexes, aged between 40 and 75 years. The total number of subjects will be divided randomly into three groups of 40 subjects each. During eight weeks, three times per week, each group will receive one type of intervention: Exercise protocol for knee osteoarthritis + cryotherapy, Exercise protocol for knee osteoarthritis + placebo or Exercise protocol for knee osteoarthritis only. A medical certificate will be requested for all participants, showing the capability of practicing physical activities. Every individual will have the following variables evaluated one day pre- and one day post-intervention process: Pain index (VAS), physical function questionnaires (WOMAC) and quality of life (sf-36 questionnaire). Three physical function tests will also be carried out: the 30s sitting and standing chair, Stair test and fast paced test in 40m. Moreover, participants will perform VAS in every physical function test. A follow-up period will be performed.

03

Conditions studied

  • Osteoarthritis,Knee

Keywords

  • Osteoarthritis, Knee
  • Cryotherapy
  • Exercise
  • Physiotherapy
  • Knee
04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
40 Years to 75 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Eligibility criteria

Main Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis based on clinical and radiographic criteria of American College of Rheumatology
  • Grade 2 or 3 according to the criteria of Kellgren \& Lawrence knee osteoarthritis radiographic examination scale.
  • Minimum score of 4 cm in Visual Analogue Scale (total 10 cm)
  • Medical prescription, showing that the participant is capable of performing physical activities

Main exclusion Criteria:

  • Physical therapy within 3 months prior to the research project
  • injection in the knee (in the previous 6 months)
  • Medical condition (cardiorespiratory, neurological and / or musculoskeletal)
  • Previous ankle, knee or hip surgery
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

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.

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.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
120 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    EXERCISE PROTOCOL + CRYOTHERAPY

    Patients with knee osteoarthritis, both sexes, with age between 40 and 75

    Other: EXERCISE PROTOCOL + CRYOTHERAPY

  • Experimental
    EXERCISE PROTOCOL

    Patients with knee osteoarthritis, both sexes, with age between 40 and 75

    Other: EXERCISE PROTOCOL

  • Placebo comparator
    EXERCISE PROTOCOL + PLACEBO

    Patients with knee osteoarthritis, both sexes, with age between 40 and 75

    Other: EXERCISE PROTOCOL + PLACEBO

Interventions

  • OtherEXERCISE PROTOCOL + CRYOTHERAPY

    Protocol: The therapeutic exercise protocol was designed according to the recommendations and guidelines of evidence-based practices and specific randomized clinical trials of physical exercise intervention for Knee osteoarthritis. The suggested parameters for an adequate prescription of physical exercises include the type, application method, intensity, duration, minimum number of sessions and frequency of exercises. Cryotherapy: Crushed ice inside two plastic bags. The positioning of the plastic bags will cover the entire knee surface (Anterior, lateral and posterior region). After the positioning of the ice bags, they will be fixed with an elastic bandage (compression). To protect the skin against frost bites, all the knee surface will be covered with a moistened operative field.

  • OtherEXERCISE PROTOCOL

    Protocol: The therapeutic exercise protocol was designed according to the recommendations and guidelines of evidence-based practices and specific randomized clinical trials of physical exercise intervention for Knee osteoarthritis. The suggested parameters for an adequate prescription of physical exercises include the type, application method, intensity, duration, minimum number of sessions and frequency of exercises.

  • OtherEXERCISE PROTOCOL + PLACEBO

    Protocol: The therapeutic exercise protocol was designed according to the recommendations and guidelines of evidence-based practices and specific randomized clinical trials of physical exercise intervention for Knee osteoarthritis. The suggested parameters for an adequate prescription of physical exercises include the type, application method, intensity, duration, minimum number of sessions and frequency of exercises. Placebo: Sand inside two plastic bags. The positioning of the plastic bags will cover the entire knee surface (Anterior, lateral and posterior region). After the positioning of the sandbags, they will be fixed with an elastic bandage (compression). All the knee surface will be covered with a moistened operative field.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Visual Analogue Scale (Pain scale): Change values from the pre evaluation to the post evaluation

    A visual analog scale (VAS) will be applied to measure the pain before and 1 day after the intervention. VAS is a well recognized tool to measure the intensity of pain that visually represents the intensity of pain that the individual believes to present. The scale will be positioned in front of the individual and will have a range of 0 to 10 cm, with 0 being the complete absence of pain and 10, the maximum intensity of pain reported by the individual.

    Time frame: The first measurement in the pre (First day, first week) and in the post (Last day, last week) evaluation - Full protocol - 12 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. WOMAC questionnaire (Self-administered questionnaire): Change values from the pre evaluation to the post evaluation

    All volunteers will answer to the questionnaire before and 1 day after the intervention. WOMAC is a self-report questionnaire designed to assess the problems experienced by people with OA of the lower limb. The score for the items is expressed through a Likert scale, where the rating is calculated as: none = 0, low = 25 = 50 moderate, severe = 75 and very severe = 100. The maximum score on each section is expressed as a percentage, with higher scores indicating greater pain, stiffness and physical dysfunction. Each point corresponds to a particular dimension (pain, stiffness and physical function). This questionnaire has been translated and validated for the Portuguese language from Brazil.

    Time frame: The second measurement in the pre (First day, first week) and in the post (Last day, last week) evaluation - Full protocol - 12 weeks

  2. 36-Item Short Form Survey

    SF-36 is a set of generic, coherent, and easily administered quality-of-life measures.

    Time frame: The third measurement in the pre (First day, first week) and in the post (Last day, last week) evaluation - Full protocol - 12 weeks

  3. Fast paced test in 40m test: Change values from the pre evaluation to the post evaluation

    Fast paced walking test that is timed by a distance of 4X10 meters, totaling 40 meters. It is used as a direct measure to correlate the ability to walk fast, short distances. Administered at a distance of 10 meters (demarcated by tapes), a cone is placed 2 meters before the start and 2 meters after the end of each marking. The participant is instructed to walk the 10 meters (from the start marking), turn around in the cone and walk another 10 meters, successively until completing the distance of 40 meters. Time is considered only between the tracks (start and end). The final score is calculated based on the speed of the participant performs the procedure and compared with normative values of healthy adults.

    Time frame: The fourth measurement in the pre (First day, first week) and in the post (Last day, last week) evaluation - Full protocol - 12 weeks

  4. Stair test: Change values from the pre evaluation to the post evaluation

    Test where the participant should go up and down a stair in the shortest possible time. The participant will be positioned in front of the stair, and at the therapeut sign must climb the indicated steps (12 steps), and go down, being able to use the handrail as a security instrument. The height of each stair step will be 20 cm, with a handrail, in an illuminated environment, free of traffic and external distractions. A pre-test is performed to identify the need for safety measures. The final score is calculated based on the time the participant performs the procedure and compared with the normative values available for the test

    Time frame: The fifth measurement in the pre (First day, first week) and in the post (Last day, last week) evaluation - Full protocol - 12 weeks

  5. 30 seconds chair stand test: Change values from the pre evaluation to the post evaluation

    All volunteers performed the test before and 1 day after the intervention. The 30 seconds chair stand test is administered using an armless chair, with seat height of about 43cm from the ground. The chair has a rubber for not slipping under its support and is placed against a wall to avoid oscillations. The participant sits in the middle of the chair with the back straight, feet apart, aligned with the shoulder width apart and flat on the floor at an angle slightly behind the knee line. Moreover, to help maintain balance, one foot may be slightly placed ahead of the other and arms crossed against the chest. The test consists of the greatest number of times from a sitting position to a standing over a period of 30 seconds. Thus, it is possible to evaluate a wide range of skill levels with scores ranging from 0, for those who cannot complete a single repetition and values greater than 20 reps for the well prepared individuals.

    Time frame: The sixth measurement in the pre (First day, first week) and in the post (Last day, last week) evaluation - Full protocol - 12 weeks

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Federal University of Sao Carlos
    São Carlos, São Paulo 251, Brazil
08

References and documents

Publications

  • French HP, Abbott JH, Galvin R. Adjunctive therapies in addition to land-based exercise therapy for osteoarthritis of the hip or knee. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 Oct 17;10(10):CD011915. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011915.pub2. PubMed 36250418 ↗
  • Ogura Dantas L, Serafim Jorge AE, Regina Mendes da Silva Serrao P, Aburquerque-Sendin F, de Fatima Salvini T. Cryotherapy associated with tailored land-based exercises for knee osteoarthritis: a protocol for a double-blind sham-controlled randomised trial. BMJ Open. 2020 Jun 1;10(6):e035610. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035610. PubMed 32482668 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Ran from Mar 2018 to primary completion in Aug 2023, 64 months.

Of 1,111 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Osteoarthritis, Knee, half reached primary completion within 18 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 8 and three quarters within 36. This study's 64 months is above that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 1,251 studies reached it within 18 months; a quarter within 8 and three quarters within 36.

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

Registered
Nov 28, 2017
First posted
Dec 4, 2017
StartActual
Mar 26, 2018
Primary completionActual
Aug 24, 2023
CompletionActual
Aug 24, 2023
Last update
Sep 27, 2024
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 Sep 27, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03360500
Lead sponsor
Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos
Responsible party
Lucas Ogura Dantas (Principal Investigator, Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos) — Principal investigator
First posted
Dec 4, 2017
Start date
Mar 26, 2018
Primary completion
Aug 24, 2023
Completion
Aug 24, 2023
Last update
Sep 27, 2024

Study contacts

Lucas O Dantas, PhD Student
principal investigator · Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos
Julya M Perea, Bachelors
principal investigator · Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos

Oversight

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

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