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Trial registered on ANZCTR


Registration number
ACTRN12618001208291
Ethics application status
Approved
Date submitted
4/07/2018
Date registered
18/07/2018
Date last updated
1/12/2020
Date data sharing statement initially provided
21/12/2018
Date results information initially provided
18/07/2019
Type of registration
Retrospectively registered

Titles & IDs
Public title
Pilot study: Effects of Low-intensity Pulsed Ultrasound as an adjunct to Usual Physiotherapy on Recovery of Physical Impairments
Scientific title
Pilot study: Effects of Low-intensity Pulsed Ultrasound as an adjunct to Usual Physiotherapy on Recovery of Physical Impairments
Secondary ID [1] 295420 0
Nil known
Universal Trial Number (UTN)
Trial acronym
Linked study record

Health condition
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied:
Postoperative total knee arthroplasty 308668 0
Condition category
Condition code
Surgery 307602 307602 0 0
Other surgery
Musculoskeletal 307781 307781 0 0
Other muscular and skeletal disorders

Intervention/exposure
Study type
Interventional
Description of intervention(s) / exposure
Pilot study:
Patients will undergo TKA surgery and during the surgical procedure, the designated surgeon will measure the thickness of tissues using patella caliper. After that, each patient will receive the following interventions:
• Pulsed ultrasound with low-intensity
- Duty cycle: 20% (1:4)
- Frequency: 1 or 3 MHz (will be based on the thickness of patient’s tissues)
- Intensity: 0.1 – 0.3 W/cm2 (will be based on the thickness of patient’s tissues)
- Treatment time: 3-5 minutes (will be based on the size of the area treated)
- An area to be treated: 0.5 cm away from the medial side of the patella
- Duration of the treatment: 3 weeks (4-5 times/week for the first-week post-TKA, at an orthopedic ward and 2-3 times/week for a further 2 weeks, at physiotherapy department)
- Transducer head and any other equipment related to the pulsed ultrasound treatment will be cleaned with the alcohol-based swab before and after the treatment
- A researcher (physiotherapist) will deliver the intervention

• TKA physiotherapy rehabilitation (4-5 times/week for the first-week post-TKA, at an orthopedic ward and 2-3 times/week for a further 2 weeks, at physiotherapy department). The rehabilitation guideline for TKA that will be used in this study is based on the general physiotherapy rehabilitation program for TKA in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre. A physiotherapist for in-patient and a physiotherapist for out-patient will administer the rehabilitation. The rehabilitation guideline is as below:

Pre-operative
• Chest physio
• Exercise education: Quad sets, Gluteus Set, Ankle pump
Inpatient
• PRICE
• Chest physio
• Circulation exercises
• Range of motion (ROM) exercises
• Strengthening exercises
• Mobility training
• Gait re-education
• Gentle patella mobilization as appropriate
• Patient education
Outpatient
• Continue ice therapy as needed
• ROM exercises
• Strengthening exercises
• Stretching exercises
• Balance, proprioception and agility exercises
• Gait re-education/functional training
• Gentle patella mobilization as appropriate
• Soft tissue mobilization as appropriate
• Advice/Patient education

• All participants will be instructed to do home exercise programme 2 times per day. The home exercise programme will include ankle pump exercise, strengthening exercises and stretching exercises.

• A telephone call will be made once a week to friendly remind them to do the home exercises programme and to monitor their progression and potential adverse effects related to exercise such as cramps and muscle soreness.

• All participants will also be provided with exercises diary to record their home exercises programme that has been done.
Intervention code [1] 301730 0
Treatment: Other
Comparator / control treatment
Pilot study:
Patients will undergo TKA surgery. After that, each patient will receive the physiotherapy treatment:
• TKA physiotherapy rehabilitation (4-5 times/week for the first-week post-TKA, at an orthopedic ward and 2-3 times/week for a further 2 weeks, at physiotherapy department)

• All participants will be instructed to do home exercise programme 2 times per day. The home exercise programme will include ankle pump exercise, strengthening exercises and stretching exercises.

• A telephone call will be made once a week to friendly remind them to do the home exercises programme and to monitor their progression and potential adverse effects related to exercise such as cramps and muscle soreness.

• All participants will also be provided with exercises diary to record their home exercises programme that has been done.
Control group
Active

Outcomes
Primary outcome [1] 306579 0
Knee pain assessed using 10 cm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)
Timepoint [1] 306579 0
Pilot study:
- Baseline (Post-operative day 2)
- 1 week after TKA surgery
- 4 weeks after TKA surgery
Primary outcome [2] 306580 0
Knee swelling assessed using measuring tape
Timepoint [2] 306580 0
Pilot study:
- Baseline (Post-operative day 2)
- 1 week after TKA surgery
- 4 weeks after TKA surgery
Primary outcome [3] 306581 0
Knee range of motion assessed using a standard long-arm goniometer
Timepoint [3] 306581 0
Pilot study:
- Baseline (Post-operative day 2)
- 1 week after TKA surgery
- 4 weeks after TKA surgery
Secondary outcome [1] 348940 0
Primary outcome: Quadriceps strength assessed using Hand-held dynamometer
Timepoint [1] 348940 0
Pilot study:
- Baseline (Post-operative day 2)
- 1 week after TKA surgery
- 4 weeks after TKA surgery

Eligibility
Key inclusion criteria
Aged 50 to 80 years
• Patients who underwent TKA surgery on one knee due to knee osteoarthritis
• The TKA with using posterior stabilized cemented total knee replacement
• Patients who reported able to walk and climb up and down stair
Minimum age
50 Years
Maximum age
80 Years
Sex
Both males and females
Can healthy volunteers participate?
No
Key exclusion criteria
• Contraindication to pulsed ultrasound (e.g. malignancy at the tissue to be treated, bleeding at the area of surgery and deep vein thrombosis)
• Has coexisting or history of diseases, which might limit the physical function and functional performance such as old fractures in the lower limb, neurology diseases (e.g. stroke) and other musculoskeletal problem.
• Has TKA complication(s) such as myocardial infarction, deep vein thrombosis, septic arthritis and neurological deficit due to regional anesthesia complications.

Study design
Purpose of the study
Treatment
Allocation to intervention
Non-randomised trial
Procedure for enrolling a subject and allocating the treatment (allocation concealment procedures)
Methods used to generate the sequence in which subjects will be randomised (sequence generation)
Masking / blinding
Blinded (masking used)
Who is / are masked / blinded?


The people assessing the outcomes
Intervention assignment
Parallel
Other design features
Phase
Not Applicable
Type of endpoint/s
Efficacy
Statistical methods / analysis
Sample size:
The sample size of 10 subjects in each group is planned for the pilot study. The result of the pilot study will be used to calculate the sample size required for the main study by using G*Power 3.1.

Statistical method:
1) Mixed model ANOVA
- To evaluate whether the changes in patients’ pain, knee swelling, knee range of motion and quadriceps strength from baseline measures over the duration of study is different for the two groups

Recruitment
Recruitment status
Completed
Date of first participant enrolment
Anticipated
Actual
6/07/2018
Date of last participant enrolment
Anticipated
21/06/2019
Actual
5/07/2019
Date of last data collection
Anticipated
2/08/2019
Actual
2/08/2019
Sample size
Target
20
Accrual to date
Final
20
Recruitment outside Australia
Country [1] 10610 0
Malaysia
State/province [1] 10610 0
Kuala Lumpur

Funding & Sponsors
Funding source category [1] 300006 0
University
Name [1] 300006 0
University Kebangsaan Malaysia
Country [1] 300006 0
Malaysia
Primary sponsor type
Individual
Name
Munayati Munajar @ Munajat
Address
Post-graduate student
Program of Physiotherapy
Fakulti of Health Sciences
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz
50300 Kuala Lumpur
Country
Malaysia
Secondary sponsor category [1] 299392 0
None
Name [1] 299392 0
Address [1] 299392 0
Country [1] 299392 0

Ethics approval
Ethics application status
Approved
Ethics committee name [1] 300860 0
Research Ethics Committee of the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre
Ethics committee address [1] 300860 0
Secretariat for Medical Research and Innovation
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre,
Level 15, Bangunan Praklinikal,
Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak,
56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.
Ethics committee country [1] 300860 0
Malaysia
Date submitted for ethics approval [1] 300860 0
19/03/2018
Approval date [1] 300860 0
03/05/2018
Ethics approval number [1] 300860 0
NN-2018-111

Summary
Brief summary
In summary, the documentation on the effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound as an adjunct treatment to the post-operative rehabilitation programme is limited. Question, whether the use of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound as an adjunct to usual physiotherapy provides better outcomes on overcoming physical impairments (pain, swelling, knee joint range of motion, quadriceps strength) in post-TKA patients remains unanswered. Therefore, a study on this topic area is needed. The purpose and hypothesis of the study are as stated below.

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Main objective
- The main objective of this study is to determine the effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound as an adjunct to usual physiotherapy on the recovery of physical impairments (pain, swelling, limitation of knee joint range of motion and quadriceps weakness) in post-TKA patients.

Specific objectives
i. To compare the changes in physical impairments (pain, swelling, limitation of knee joint range of motion and quadriceps weakness) between post-TKA patients who received low-intensity pulsed ultrasound as an adjunct to usual physiotherapy (Pulsed US-added PT group) and patients who received usual physiotherapy (control group).

HYPOTHESIS
HA: The use of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound as an adjunct to usual physiotherapy (Pulsed US-added PT group) yields better outcomes on the recovery of physical impairments of post-TKA patients compared to usual physiotherapy alone (control group).

This quasi-experimental study is a pilot study. The pilot study will be conducted to test procedures and process of the study and to obtain approximates of parameters for sample size calculation of the main study.
This study will be conducted among population listed for TKA surgery at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre.
Trial website
Trial related presentations / publications
Public notes

Contacts
Principal investigator
Name 85066 0
A/Prof Nor Azlin Mohd Nordin
Address 85066 0
Program of Physiotherapy
Faculty of Health Sciences,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,
Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz,
50300 Kuala Lumpur
Country 85066 0
Malaysia
Phone 85066 0
+60193594418
Fax 85066 0
Email 85066 0
[email protected]
Contact person for public queries
Name 85067 0
Miss Munayati Munajar @ Munajat
Address 85067 0
Post-graduate student
Program of Physiotherapy
Faculty of Health Sciences,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,
Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz,
50300 Kuala Lumpur
Country 85067 0
Malaysia
Phone 85067 0
+60127596419
Fax 85067 0
Email 85067 0
[email protected]
Contact person for scientific queries
Name 85068 0
A/Prof Nor Azlin Mohd Nordin
Address 85068 0
Program of Physiotherapy
Faculty of Health Sciences,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,
Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz,
50300 Kuala Lumpur
Country 85068 0
Malaysia
Phone 85068 0
+60193594418
Fax 85068 0
Email 85068 0
[email protected]

Data sharing statement
Will individual participant data (IPD) for this trial be available (including data dictionaries)?
No
No/undecided IPD sharing reason/comment
All the data will be kept confidential as the access to the data is only by the research team and the REC UKM. The data will be reported in a collective manner with no reference to an individual.


What supporting documents are/will be available?

No Supporting Document Provided



Results publications and other study-related documents

Documents added manually
No documents have been uploaded by study researchers.

Documents added automatically
No additional documents have been identified.