Effectiveness of Stimulation on the Sciatic Nerve in ACLR
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Experimental Group.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Rehabilitation. Basic parameters: 18 years — 60 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Spain
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
"Effectiveness of Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on the Sciatic Nerve in Patients Undergoing Surgical Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament. A Randomized Clinical Trial".
Overview
After randomization, the control group will receive conventional physiotherapy, including manual therapy and therapeutic exercise for ACL rehabilitation. The first experimental group will undergo percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation of the sciatic nerve, while the second experimental group will receive a placebo stimulation. Both interventions aim to improve isometric strength, muscle activation, joint range of motion, and thigh circumference, as well as reduce pain and intra-articular effusion. The procedure involves needle insertion into the sciatic nerve epineurium, placement of a surface electrode on the hamstrings, and connection to an electrostimulator.
Detailed description
After randomization, participants in the control group will undergo only the conventional physiotherapy program, which consists of manual therapy and therapeutic exercise for the rehabilitation of the anterior cruciate ligament. The first experimental group will receive a percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation protocol applied to the sciatic nerve, consisting of 10 cycles of 10 seconds of electrical current followed by 10 seconds of rest, with the intensity adjusted to the patient's tolerance threshold. The second experimental group will follow the same procedure but with a placebo stimulation. The interventions aim to improve isometric strength, muscle activation, joint range of motion, and thigh circumference, while also reducing pain and intra-articular effusion. The experimental procedure involves inserting a needle into the epineurium of the sciatic nerve after disinfecting the area and placing a surface electrode on the hamstring muscles, followed by connecting the needle to an electrostimulator.
Interventions
- Procedure Experimental Group
Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on the Sciatic Nerve
Primary outcome measures
- Maximal Isometric Strength of the Hamstring Musculature [Time frame: 5 weeks after surgery]
Secondary outcome measures (5)
- Surface Electromyography of the Hamstring Musculature [Time frame: 5 weeks after surgery]
- Postsurgery Pain [Time frame: 5 weeks after surgery]
- Thigh Circumference Measurement [Time frame: 5 weeks after surgery]
- Intra-Articular Effusion [Time frame: 5 weeks after surgery]
- Knee Range of Motion [Time frame: 5 weeks after surgery]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Use of the Semitendinous and Gracilis tendons for ACL Reconstruction
- Joint Range of Motion greater than or equal to 90
- Primary ACL injury in the leg to be treated
Exclusion criteria
- Chronic or rheumatic joint disease
- Central nervous system disorder
- Heart disease (pacemaker)
- Neoplasms
- Epilepsy
- Coagulopathies (use of anticoagulants)
- History of spinal surgery or lumbar disease
- History of neurological disorders
- Prosthesis or osteosynthesis in the operated leg
- Structural discrepancy in lower-limb length
- Belonephobia (overwhelming fear of needles)
- Neuropathic pain or bilateral symptoms
- Use of analgesics
- Quadriceps tendon graft harvest
- Body mass index <20 or >30 kg/m²
- Acute muscle injuries
- Knee joint instability
- Acute joint inflammation
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Double blind
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Spain · 1 center
- Clinica CEMTRO, Montecarmelo, Madrid — Madrid
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07569796 · CE102505