Could cutting a nerve during knee surgery stop chronic pain?
NCT ID NCT04028947
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether cutting a small nerve in the knee during a total knee replacement can reduce long-term pain. 178 adults having their first knee replacement will be randomly assigned to get either the standard surgery or the surgery plus the nerve cut. Researchers will track pain levels for months after surgery to see if the extra step makes a difference.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Prophylactic infrapatellar saphenous neurectomy (a procedure to cut a nerve during knee replacement surgery)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could lead to a simple surgical tweak that reduces long-term knee pain after replacement, improving quality of life for many patients.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small, early-stage study. The nerve-cutting procedure may not reduce pain significantly, and could cause numbness or other side effects. Results may not apply to all knee replacement patients.
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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178 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2020
- 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 to 85 years
- 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: * Primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty candidate Exclusion Criteria: * Body Mass Index (BMI) \>40 * Inflammatory arthritis * Unable to follow up visits (long distance from Mayo Clinic) * Poor compliance risk * Health condition deemed by physician to preclude patient's ability to participate in the trial
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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
Locations
-
Mayo Clinic in Florida
Jacksonville, Florida, 32224, United States
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