Vibrating wristband teaches knee patients to walk easier
NCT ID NCT06208631
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This Stanford study tests whether people with knee osteoarthritis can learn to change how they activate their calf muscles while walking, using a vibrating feedback device. The goal is to reduce the force on the knee joint. Thirty-one participants will train on a treadmill or over ground, and researchers will use computer simulations to measure changes in knee loading.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- haptic biofeedback gait retraining
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a non-drug way to reduce knee joint stress and slow osteoarthritis progression.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early study (31 people) testing only short-term changes. It is not yet known if the training reduces pain or prevents joint damage long-term.
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 31 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2024
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Medial and/or lateral compartment knee osteoarthritis * Diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis of at least six months duration * Ambulatory without aids * Able to walk for at least 60 minutes * Typical pain rating of 1-4 on scale of 0-10 * Able to reduce gastrocnemius muscle activation by 10% from baseline Exclusion Criteria: * History of symptomatic arthritis in lower limb joints other than the knees * Replacement of any lower extremity joint * Symptoms originating from the patellofemoral joint * Body mass index equal to or greater than 35 * Nerve or muscle disease associated with walking difficulty * History of rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or autoimmune disease * History of lower limb fracture or surgery requiring hospitalization * Pregnant
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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 places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Stanford Human Performance Lab
RECRUITINGStanford, California, 94305, United States
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