Can a virtual escape ease the pain of knee surgery?
NCT ID NCT07758361
First seen Aug 11, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This trial tests whether wearing virtual reality goggles that show relaxing nature scenes can reduce pain, anxiety, and sleep problems in people recovering from total knee replacement surgery. Half of the participants will receive standard care plus the virtual reality sessions, while the other half receives standard care alone. The study measures pain, anxiety, and sleep quality before and after surgery to see if this distraction-based approach 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
- virtual reality goggles showing relaxing nature videos
- What this could lead to
- If effective, virtual reality could become a drug-free way to improve recovery after knee replacement surgery, reducing reliance on painkillers and easing anxiety and sleep issues.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial, and the benefits may be modest or not apply to everyone. Virtual reality may cause discomfort or dizziness in some users, and it is not a substitute for standard medical care.
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
-
94 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Jan 2024
- Finished
-
Dec 2024
- Lead sponsor
-
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
-
18 to 70 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
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: * Patients undergoing elective primary total knee arthroplasty due to knee osteoarthritis * Patients able to communicate in Turkish * Patients mobilized on the first postoperative day according to the hospital's standard postoperative care protocol * Patients with a postoperative pain score ≥4 on the Numerical Rating Scale * Patients providing written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Patients experiencing postoperative complications (e.g., severe bleeding, persistent nausea or vomiting), * Cognitive or sensory impairment, * Psychiatric disorders, communication difficulties, history of dizziness, uncontrolled hypertension, or patients using sedative or anxiolytic drugs were excluded from the study.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Arthropathy of knee are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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
-
Istinye University
Istanbul, Zeytinburnu, 34010, Turkey (Türkiye)
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Robot-Assisted joint surgery under the microscope: will it help implants last longer?
- Can a faster recovery plan get knee replacement patients home sooner?
- Pre-Surgery breathing workouts may speed recovery after joint surgery
- Knee implant survival check: will new plastic design outperform the old?
- Could a smart brace replace physical therapy after knee surgery?
- Which nerve block gets knee patients moving faster?