Tiny camera could make knee surgery less painful
NCT ID NCT07823504
First seen Sep 16, 2026 · Last updated Sep 17, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers compare two ways to perform knee surgery for simple problems like meniscal tears, cartilage damage, and loose bodies. One method uses a needle arthroscopy with a 1.9mm camera through tiny openings, and the other uses standard arthroscopy. Adults aged 18 to 65 join the study, and researchers track their pain, opioid use, recovery, and return to activity over three months.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- needle arthroscopy using a 1.9mm camera system called NanoScope
- What this could lead to
- If needle arthroscopy works as well as standard surgery, people with simple knee problems could recover with less pain and smaller scars.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot trial of 54 people, so it may not show a clear difference between the two techniques. Needle arthroscopy may not work for every knee problem, and some patients may still need standard surgery.
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 54 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jan 2027
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2028
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 65 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: * • Clinical diagnosis of: Meniscal tears (Medial or Lateral) suitable for partial meniscectomy or simple repair; Chondral lesions / Chondromalacia (ICRS Grade 1-3); Loose bodies; Synovitis requiring synovectomy; Cyclops lesion (post-ACL reconstruction). * Age: 18 to 65 years at time of surgery. * Imaging: Pre-operative MRI performed within 6 months of the surgery date. And an X-ray showing no fractures. * Consent: Willingness and ability to provide informed consent and attend follow-up visits. Exclusion Criteria: * • Instability: Concomitant ACL, PCL, or multi-ligament injury requiring reconstruction (reconstruction cannot be performed solely with NanoScope). * Osteoarthritis: Advanced Osteoarthritis defined as Kellgren-Lawrence Grade 3 or 4 (bone-on-bone) on pre-operative weight-bearing radiographs. * Complex Pathology: Complex meniscal tears requiring repair techniques strictly requiring standard instrumentation (e.g., large bucket-handle tears requiring inside-out/outside-in sutures). * Infection: Active local or systemic infection. * BMI: Body Mass Index \> 40 (due to potential visualization difficulties with the 1.9mm system in deep soft tissue). * Previous Surgery: Revision meniscal repair on the affected compartment (unless simple debridement). * Legal/WCB: Patients involved in active litigation or Workers Compensation Board (WCB) claims. * Language: Unable to speak, read, or understand English (preventing completion of PROMs). * Pregnancy: at the time of surgery. * Mental Health: Conditions that preclude informed consent and follow-up (e.g. mental capacity, impaired judgment and/or memory, severe mood episodes, dementia, etc). * Major illness: Life expectancy \<1yr or unacceptably high surgery risk). Intra-operative exclusions: Final assessment of eligibility will be made intra-operatively and include: * Arthritis: If grade 3 or 4 chondral damage (exposed bone) is discovered intra-operatively that was not evident on radiographs, the patient may be excluded from the per-protocol analysis but retained for safety analysis. * Technique Failure (Crossover): If a patient randomized to the NanoScope Group has pathology that cannot be adequately visualized or treated with the needle system (e.g., tight compartment, excessive bleeding, or inability to access pathology), the surgeon will convert to Conventional Arthroscopy. These patients will be considered "enrolled" and analyzed in their original randomized group (Intention-to-Treat principle), but the case will be documented as a "Failure of Technique".
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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 official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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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.
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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