New knee brace could ease pain without surgery
NCT ID NCT05428332
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether a special knee brace, called a Tri-Compartment Unloader, can reduce pain and improve function in people with anterior knee pain. Twenty adults with knee pain that worsens when bending and bearing weight wore the brace during physical therapy and daily activities. Researchers measured pain and function using questionnaires to see if the brace helped more than standard care alone.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Tri-Compartment Unloader knee brace
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this brace could offer a non-surgical way to ease knee pain and improve daily function for people with anterior knee pain.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early study with only 20 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The brace may not help all types of knee pain.
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
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20 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Apr 2022
- Finished
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Nov 2024
- 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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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: 1. Anterior knee pain that worsens when the knee is flexed and bearing weight 2. Patellofemoral chondral defect(s) or patellofemoral arthritis detected with standard of care x-ray and/or MRI 3. Kellgren and Lawrence grade 0-3 of PF joint 4. Able to wear the TCU knee brace for a minimum of 3 hours per day 5. Over 18 years old, can understand written English 6. Coronal knee alignment within 7 degrees of neutral 7. Must be able to fit within an off-the-shelf knee brace size provided by Company 8. Must complete physical therapy through Stanford Exclusion Criteria: 1. Surgical intervention definitely indicated (major mechanical symptoms/failed substantial previous conservative measures) on the affected knee within the next year 2. Use of another brace designed to unload the knee or manage knee pain during the study 3. Varus/Valgus joint alignment \> 7 degrees 4. Inability to be fit properly in an off-the-shelf brace provided by the Company 5. BMI \>40 6. Bilateral knee symptoms
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Stanford Redwood City Outpatient Center
Redwood City, California, 94063, United States
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