Comparison of the pain killing effect leech therapy plus physiotherapy and intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid versus standard treatment in patients with knee osteoarthritis

Comparison of the pain killing effect leech therapy plus physiotherapy and intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid versus standard treatment in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized clinical trial

Status

Recruiting

Phases

Phase 2

Study type

Interventional

Source

IRCT

Registry ID

IRCT201703239014N153

Enrollment

181

Registered

2017-04-22

Start date

2017-04-21

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2018-02-22

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Knee osteoarthritis. Polyarthrosis, unspecified

Interventions

Intervention 1: Intervention group 1: Intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid single dose. Intervention 2: Intervention group 2: Leech therapy on the first and fifth day after treatment using 5 l

Treatment - Drugs

Intervention group 1: Intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid single dose.

Intervention group 2: Leech therapy on the first and fifth day after treatment using 5 leeches each time for 20 minutes plus physiotherapy 75 minutes for 10 sessions.

Control group: Capsule Indomethacin 25 mg two capsules 3 times a day for 3 months plus tablet Prednisolone 5 mg t tablets 3 times a day for 3 months plus tablet glucosamine (triple flex) 1500 mg 3 ti

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

50 Years to 70 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Inclusion criteria: Age of 50 to 70 years; knee osteoarthritis. Exclusion criteria: A positive testing of rheumatoid arteritis; erythrocyte sedimentation rate above 40.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria:

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Measuring knee pain. Timepoint: before intervention and 3 and 6 months after intervention. Method of measurement: using visual analog scale (VAS).;Assessing quality of life. Timepoint: before intervention and 3 and 6 months after intervention. Method of measurement: using standard KOOS/VOMAC questionnaire.	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Assessing adverse effect of treatment. Timepoint: 3 and 6 months after intervention. Method of measurement: through history taking and physical examination.	—

Countries

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Contacts

Public ContactDr Saman Talebi

Shahid Beheshti Hospital

s.talebi@umsha.ac.ir+98 81 3838 0283

Outcome results

None listed

Source: IRCT (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026