Simple leg exercise may cut swelling and pain after knee replacement
NCT ID NCT07688642
First seen Jul 07, 2026 · Last updated Jul 08, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether adding a simple leg exercise to standard recovery care can reduce swelling and inflammation after total knee replacement. The exercise involves lying or sitting while lifting the leg and moving the ankle. Researchers will measure leg swelling and pain in 68 adults who have knee replacement for osteoarthritis. If it works, this low-cost approach could improve recovery without extra medication.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- circulatory exercise program (leg elevation with ankle pump and knee extension)
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this simple exercise could become a standard part of knee replacement recovery, reducing swelling and pain without drugs.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with 68 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The exercise may not significantly reduce inflammation or improve outcomes.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 68 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jun 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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May 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults ≥ 18 years undergoing elective unilateral primary TKR for osteoarthritis. * Able to provide informed consent. * Able to perform the exercise (cognitively and physically) prior to discharge. Exclusion Criteria: * Preexisting peripheral vascular disease with severe ischemia or venous insufficiency that limits exercise. * Contraindication to early active movement per surgeon (e.g., complex surgical fixation limiting motion if present). * Severe neurological or cognitive impairment preventing instruction adherence. * Inability to comply with follow-up.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
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