New heat therapy could ease knee pain without surgery
NCT ID NCT07633795
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether TECAR therapy—a device that delivers gentle heat deep into the knee—can reduce pain, improve balance, and boost quality of life in elderly men with knee osteoarthritis. Eighty men will receive either real TECAR plus standard physiotherapy or a sham version plus physiotherapy for 8 weeks. The goal is to see if adding TECAR offers extra relief beyond exercise alone.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- TECAR therapy (a device that uses radiofrequency energy to warm tissues)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a non-drug, non-surgical way to ease pain and improve balance and daily life for older men with knee osteoarthritis.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 80 participants. The sham control may reveal no added benefit over standard physiotherapy, and results may not apply to women or other groups.
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 80 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jun 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Oct 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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65 to 75 years
- Sex
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Male participants only
- 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 and radiographic diagnosis of mild and moderate bilateral or unilateral knee osteoarthritis meeting the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. * Presence of chronic knee pain lasting for more than 6 months. * Ability to ambulate independently with or without an assistive device. Exclusion Criteria: * Severe knee osteoarthritis (grade IV) requiring imminent surgical joint replacement. * History of previous knee arthroplasty, internal fixation, or significant trauma to the affected lower extremity. * Presence of pacemakers, metallic implants in the knee region, or severe. - peripheral vascular disease (absolute contraindications for TECAR therapy). * Intra-articular injections (corticosteroids, platelet-rich plasma, or hyaluronic acid) into the knee within the past 3 months. * Cognitive impairment or systemic inflammatory conditions (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis).
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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
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.
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