Deep Versus Superficial Heating in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

Deep Versus Superficial Heating in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: a Double-blind Randomized Clinical Trial

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT01343147

Enrollment

Registered

2011-04-27

Start date

2010-05-31

Completion date

2010-07-31

Last updated

2014-03-05

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

Conditions

Knee Osteoarthritis

Keywords

Hyperthermia, Microwave diathermy, Hot packs, Pain, Physical function

Brief summary

Heat therapy is frequently prescribed to patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA). Deep hyperthermia via localized microwave diathermy is effective in several musculoskeletal painful conditions. However, the efficacy of superficial heating is controversial. Furthermore, no clinical trials have yet directly compared the effects of these treatment modalities in knee OA. Hence, the purpose of the present study is to compare the effects of deep and superficial hyperthermia, induced via microwave diathermy and hot packs, respectively, on pain and function in patients with symptomatic knee OA.

Interventions

OTHERMicrowave diathermy

Deep tissue heating via microwave diathermy

OTHERSuperficial hyperthermia

Superficial heating via hot pack application

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Men and women aged 18 years or older * Moderate, mono or bilateral knee osteoarthritis * Pain lasting for at least three weeks

Exclusion criteria

* Inability or unwillingness to sign informed consent * Previous surgery on the affected knee * Intra-articular injections with steroids or hyaluronic acid in prior 6 months * Physical therapy for knee problems in prior 6 months * Congenital or acquired inflammatory or neurological (systemic or local) diseases involving the knee * Chronic NSAID or steroid treatment * Cognitive or psychiatric disorders * Pregnancy or breastfeeding * Contraindications to hyperthermia (cancer in prior 2 years or active cancer treatment, local thrombosis, impaired arterial circulation, altered cutaneous thermal sensitivity, local infections or systemic acute infections, metal implants or prosthesis, severe osteoporosis

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC scale)	12 months

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
British Medical Research Council (BMRC) rating scale	6 months
Pain visual analogue scale (VAS)	6 months

Countries

Italy

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026