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Not yet recruitingNCT06620874Updated Oct 1, 2024

Comparison of the Efficacy of Ultrasound-Guided Injections of Saline, High-Concentration Dextrose, and Ligament Repair Agents for the Treatment of Medial Collateral Ligament Pathology in Degenerative Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Double-Blind Trial.

An interventional study of STABHA Injection and High-Concentration Glucose Water Injection in Medial Collateral Ligament Lesions and Knee Osteoarthritis, sponsored by Chen Ting-an. Not yet recruiting. Open to participants aged 45 Years to 80 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-10-01.

Sponsored by Chen Ting-an · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by Jun 2025, 1 year 3 months ago, but the record still lists the study as not yet recruiting.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
51
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
45 Years to 80 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of STABHA, high-concentration glucose water, and saline injections in treating knee osteoarthritis with medial collateral ligament lesions. This prospective, double-blind, randomized trial will recruit 51 patients from the Shin Kong Hospital Rehabilitation Department.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  1. Do STABHA or high-concentration glucose water injections provide better pain relief and improved knee function compared to saline?
  2. What side effects do participants experience with these treatments?

Participants will be randomly divided into three groups: STABHA, high-concentration glucose water, and saline. In addition to routine intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections, each group will receive two ultrasound-guided injections of their assigned treatment into the medial collateral ligament of the knee, with a two-week interval. All participants will also undergo a 4-week physical therapy program.

Participants will:

  1. Receive two ultrasound-guided injections over two weeks.
  2. Undergo 4 weeks of physical therapy.
  3. Return for follow-up assessments at 1 and 3 months, including the WOMAC osteoarthritis index, pain score, KOOS knee outcome score, knee range of motion, and knee ultrasound examination.
02

Conditions studied

  • Medial Collateral Ligament Lesions
  • Knee Osteoarthritis

Keywords

  • medical collateral ligament (MCL)
  • Knee osteoarthritis
  • prolotherapy
  • STABHA
  • rehabilitation
03

In context

Osteoarthritis

4,398 studies on the registry are indexed under Osteoarthritis; 582 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 51 is below the median of 70 across 3,440 interventional studies indexed under Osteoarthritis.

Browse Osteoarthritis studies →

Lead sponsor

This is the only study on the registry with Chen Ting-an as lead sponsor.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

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

Inclusion criteria

-

The patients should fulfill the following criteria:

  1. Age between 45 to 80 years old.
  2. Meet at least three of the six American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria, including age over 50 years, morning stiffness less than 30 minutes, crepitus in passive knee movements, bony tenderness, bony enlargement, and no palpable warmth.
  3. Radiologic grading of 2 or 3 according to Kellgren-Lawrence criteria.
  4. Evidence of medial collateral ligament (MCL) pathology with incomplete injuries (grade I or II).
  5. Willing to receive prolotherapy treatment.
  6. Willing and able to complete all follow-ups and assessments in the randomized double-blind trial.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • The exclusion criteria are:

    1. Severe systemic disorders including cancer, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, sepsis, or cardiopulmonary diseases.
    2. History of anticoagulation therapy, knee injection over the past three months.
    3. History of knee surgery or candidates for knee arthroplasty.
    4. History of intolerance to prolotherapy.
    5. Pregnancy.
    6. Infectious arthritis, inflammatory joint diseases, joint dysplasia.
    7. Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 35 kg/m2.
    8. Complete tear of medial collateral ligament under ultrasound.
    9. Fracture or other causes of knee pain instead of osteoarthritis.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Triple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator)
Enrollment
51 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    STABHA Injection

    Participants will receive two ultrasound-guided STABHA injections into the medial collateral ligament of the knee at a 2-week interval.

    Biological: STABHA Injection

  • Experimental
    High-Concentration Glucose Water Injection

    Participants will receive two ultrasound-guided high-concentration glucose water injections into the medial collateral ligament of the knee at a 2-week interval.

    Other: High-Concentration Glucose Water Injection

  • Placebo comparator
    Saline Injection

    Participants will receive two ultrasound-guided saline injections into the medial collateral ligament of the knee at a 2-week interval.

    Other: Saline Injection

Interventions

  • BiologicalSTABHA Injection

    Participants will receive two ultrasound-guided STABHA injections into the medial collateral ligament of the knee at a 2-week interval

  • OtherHigh-Concentration Glucose Water Injection

    Participants will receive two ultrasound-guided high-concentration glucose water injections into the medial collateral ligament of the knee at a 2-week interval

  • OtherSaline Injection

    Participants will receive two ultrasound-guided saline injections into the medial collateral ligament of the knee at a 2-week interval

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain Reduction Using WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index

    The primary outcome will assess the change in pain scores using the WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after the treatment intervention

    Time frame: Baseline, 1 month, and 3 months post-intervention

Secondary outcomes

  1. Knee Range of Motion

    The change in knee range of motion will be measured using a goniometer at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after intervention

    Time frame: Baseline, 1 month, and 3 months post-intervention

  2. KOOS Knee Outcome Score

    The outcome will assess the change in KOOS Knee Outcome Score at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after the treatment intervention

    Time frame: Baseline, 1 month, and 3 months post-intervention

Other outcomes

  1. Change in Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Characteristics in Knee Ultrasound Examination

    The outcome will assess changes in the characteristics of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) of the knee using ultrasound examination. Measurements will include MCL thickness, echogenicity, and presence of any structural abnormalities (e.g., calcifications, tears). Ultrasound evaluations will be performed at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after the intervention to determine the treatment effects on MCL condition.

    Time frame: Baseline, 1 month, and 3 months post-intervention

07

Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Oct 1, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06620874
Lead sponsor
Chen Ting-an
Responsible party
Chen Ting-an (Attending Physician, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Oct 1, 2024
Start date
Oct 1, 2024 (estimated)
Primary completion
Jun 30, 2025 (estimated)
Completion
Sep 30, 2025 (estimated)
Last update
Oct 1, 2024

Study contacts

Ting-an Chen
Contact
phoebe19910215@gmail.com
+886984-166-521

Oversight

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

Not currently enrolling

This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Sep 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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