ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT06490770Gait-MRI-KneeUpdated Jul 2, 2026

Analysis of the Pathophysiological and Functional State of the Knee Joint

An interventional study of Gait analysis, Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Osteoarthritis, Knee and Cartilage Degeneration, sponsored by Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli. Recruiting at 1 site in Italy. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 60 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-02.

Sponsored by Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli · Not applicable, Interventional, and Diagnostic

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Jul 2025; still recruiting 1 year 4 months later.

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Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
25
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years to 60 Years
Sex
All
01

Where this study stands

Counted across the records on this site · 2026-11-14

Among 31 studies in Osteoarthritis, Knee by Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli — 13 open to participants now, 13 under way, none of them phase 3. Osteoarthritis, Knee · Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli.

Planned enrollment
19th of 25
25 · median 50
Started
2025
with 2 others
No phase
21 of 31
11 open now
Primary completion
2027-04
later than 9 of 12 live
Registered
26th of 31
by date

Among the 31 studies in Osteoarthritis, Knee by Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, this one is the 19th largest by planned enrollment of the 25 interventional ones that give a count, is one of 3 that started in 2025, is one of 21 with no phase, reaches primary completion later than 9 of the 12 other live ones, and was the 26th registered.

Osteoarthritis, Knee

3,294 studies on the registry are indexed under Osteoarthritis, Knee; 623 are open to participants now.

Browse Osteoarthritis, Knee studies →

Open to participants now

13 of the 31 studies in Osteoarthritis, Knee by Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli are open now, in 1 country. Recruiting first, the newest first:

7 more — sign in →

By country, each count listing its studies:

All 13 open studies →

Where they have run

Who these studies take

Of the 383 Osteoarthritis, Knee studies recruiting now, 177 (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: 18 Years to 60 Years · all sexes · no healthy volunteers.

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02

Study summary

Osteoarthritis is the most common degenerative condition affecting the knee joint globally, with an incidence of about 7% of the population. In Italy, it affects approximately 3.9 million people, with a direct treatment cost of around €2.5 billion. At the joint level, osteoarthritis manifests with pain and reduced functionality, worsening as the disease progresses and severely limiting knee movement. Compounding this, osteoarthritis can impact both elderly and younger individuals due to traumatic factors.

Despite its significant impact, effective treatments for osteoarthritis that address its underlying causes are still lacking, focusing mainly on symptom management. Therefore, improving diagnostic and prognostic approaches is crucial to better understand its onset and progression.

MRI is a primary diagnostic tool for assessing the knee joint's pathophysiological state. It uses tissue-specific sequences to investigate joint homeostasis in detail, although it primarily provides insights into morphology, structure, and tissue composition rather than functional changes within the joint. This limitation is noteworthy because joint homeostasis involves complex interactions among biomechanical, structural, and biological processes, which are directly influenced by osteoarthritis.

Gait analysis provides valuable diagnostic information on joint function. By integrating sensor measurements and electronic systems with patient-specific musculoskeletal models derived from MRI morphometric data, it is possible to assess the forces and moments within the joint during specific movements.

Given that osteoarthritis affects the entire joint, employing multidisciplinary approaches can enhance diagnostic precision and provide insights into the progressive impact of degenerative conditions like osteoarthritis on joint health.

03

Conditions studied

  • Osteoarthritis, Knee
  • Cartilage Degeneration
04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 60 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

  • Knee pain and/or loss of functionality
  • Kellgren-Lawrence grade less than or equal to 2
  • Arthroscopic evidence of cartilage tissue lesions
  • Evidence of cartilage and/or meniscal tissue degeneration and/or subchondral bone marrow lesions

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History/evidence of previous partial or total knee prosthesis interventions
  • Inability to provide
  • Conditions or physical disorders incompatible with the use of MRI and electrical stimulation (implanted active and passive biomedical devices, epilepsy, severe venous insufficiency in the lower limbs)
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.

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.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Diagnostic
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
25 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Other
    group 1

    Diagnostic Test: Gait analysis, Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Interventions

  • Diagnostic testGait analysis, Magnetic Resonance Imaging

    Gait analysis and Magnetic Resonance Imaging to investigate the functionality and the pathological condition of the knee, respectively

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Magnetic Resonance Imaging

    MRI images will be acquired for each subject using a high-field scanner (3T, Discovery MR750w3, GE Healthcare, UK) with sequences that will allow i) the analysis of the pathophysiological state of the knee cartilage, and ii) the identification and segmentation of the various leg muscles. Regarding the investigation of joint tissues, quantitative sequences (e.g., T2 mapping) will be acquired using a specific coil, according to standard practice. MRI images related to the muscular aspects of the entire lower limb will be added to the previous ones-which will instead be focused on the region bounded by the femoral and tibial diaphyses-in order to obtain complete information in a single acquisition session with additional timing on the order of minutes. MRI images at the 12-month follow-up are specific to the study.

    Time frame: at baseline and 12-month follow-up

Secondary outcomes

  1. Strength measurements with a manual dynamometer

    As per clinical practice, before gait analysis, muscle strength (generalized, not specific to the knee flexor and extensor muscles) will be measured through the execution of a hand grip test with a manual hydraulic dynamometer (Jamar, Sammons Preston Rolyan, USA). The measurement will be repeated three times, allowing a 1-minute rest between repetitions.

    Time frame: at baseline and 12-month follow-up

  2. Bioimpedance analysis

    Patients will be asked to undergo a bioimpedance measurement (BIA BIVA 101 PRO, Akern, ITA) to estimate the muscle mass (residual) and fat mass for both lower limbs.

    Time frame: at baseline and 12-month follow-up

  3. Gait Analysis (including Electromyography)

    Gait analysis with electromyographic signal acquisition will be performed. Anthropometric measurements will be taken, and retroreflective markers will be placed on anatomical landmarks. Bipolar electrodes will be positioned on key lower limb muscles according to SENIAM guidelines. The test includes static calibration, walking, sit-to-stand-to-sit, and step-over tasks. Electromyographic signals will be monitored and analyzed for muscle activation and co-activation. The session will last 40-60 minutes and is study-specific.

    Time frame: at baseline and 12-month follow-up

  4. Clinical questionnaires

    Knee function and pain will be assessed using the WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index) and KOOS (Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score) scales. WOMAC is a self-assessment questionnaire with 24 questions divided into three subgroups evaluating knee pain, joint stiffness, and functionality during daily activities. KOOS evaluates symptoms, pain, daily activities, sports activities, and quality of life. A dedicated data collection form will be used to gather all clinical information and study results. For each patient, a paper Case Report Form (CRF) will be completed. Additionally, all collected experimental data will be saved in a specially created folder on the Institute's secure server.

    Time frame: at baseline and 12-month follow-up

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
08

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

Started Jul 2025 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Apr 2027, 21 months after the start.

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 planned 21 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
Jun 13, 2024
First posted
Jul 8, 2024
StartActual
Jul 9, 2025
Primary completionEst.
Apr 2027
CompletionEst.
Apr 2027
Last update
Jul 2, 2026
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 Jul 2, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06490770
Responsible party
Stefano Zaffagnini (Full Professor Medicine and Surgery, University of Bologna, Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jul 8, 2024
Start date
Jul 9, 2025
Primary completion
Apr 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Apr 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Jul 2, 2026

Study contacts

stefano zaffagnini
Contact
stefano.zaffagnini@unibo.it
+390516366075

Oversight

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

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