New combo therapy aims to restore muscle in paralyzed legs
NCT ID NCT03345576
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This phase 2 trial tested whether combining testosterone therapy with a special type of electrical stimulation (long pulse width) could rebuild leg muscle in 12 people with spinal cord injury whose muscles no longer respond to standard electrical stimulation. Participants received supervised training for one year. The study measured changes in muscle size using MRI and looked at how the muscles' energy centers (mitochondria) responded. The goal is to find a way to improve muscle health and reduce related health risks in people with denervated muscles.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- testosterone replacement therapy and long pulse width electrical stimulation
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a way to restore leg muscle size and improve metabolic health in people with spinal cord injury who have lost nerve connection to their muscles.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 12 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The combination therapy is complex and may not produce lasting benefits.
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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.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
Richmond, Virginia, 23249-0001, United States
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