Freeze or zap? new trial tests Drug-Free pain relief for stubborn knee arthritis
NCT ID NCT07664371
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 12, 2026 · Updated 4 times
Summary
This study compares two minimally invasive procedures—cryoneurolysis (freezing nerves) and radiofrequency (using electric pulses)—to relieve knee pain in adults with osteoarthritis who haven't responded to standard treatments like painkillers or physical therapy. Sixty participants will be randomly assigned to one of the two procedures, and their pain levels will be measured using a standard pain scale. The goal is to see which method provides better, drug-free pain relief.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Cryoneurolysis (nerve freezing) and radiofrequency (nerve heating via electric pulses)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a drug-free, long-lasting pain relief option for people with knee osteoarthritis who have not found relief from pills or physical therapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 60 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The procedures are not permanent and pain may return over time.
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
-
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
-
About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Jun 2026
- Expected to finish
-
Nov 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
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
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
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 with a clinical diagnosis of refractory knee OA who suffered from refractory knee pain (patients who had failed conservative medical and physical therapy for 6 months . Exclusion Criteria: 1. Patients with OA show improvement in pain after conservative medical and physical therapy. 2. Patients evaluated by an orthopedic surgeon and deemed to be surgical candidates due to knee pathologies other than OA. 3. Patients with allergies to local anesthetics. 4. patients on anticoagulation therapy, who were not permitted to stop anticoagulation. 5. Patients with knee tumors. 6. Patients with acute infections. 7. Patients with implanted cardiac devices. 8. Pregnant patients.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Knee osteoarthritis are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Faculty of medicine, Tanta University
RECRUITINGTanta, Egypt
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Custom knee guides put to the test in obese patients
- Can a shot of your own blood ease arthritic knees?
- 5,000 knee arthritis patients tracked to crack the treatment code
- Can a hydrogel injection ease knee arthritis pain?
- Weekly shot aims to melt away pounds in obesity fight
- Can shockwave plus injections quiet knee arthritis pain?