Analysis of Muscular Properties in Patients With MFS and EDS (MUSCLE)

September 8, 2025 updated by: Alessandro Pini, IRCCS Policlinico S. Donato

Analysis of Muscle Morphological and Electromechanical Properties in Patients With MFS and EDS: a Low-risk Intervention Study

The goal of this observational study is to learn and assess muscle morphological and electromechanical properties in patients affected with Marfan syndrome (MFS) and Ehlers Danlos syndrome (EDS). the main questions it aims to answer are:

  • To assess the ability to develop muscle strength;
  • Muscle and tendon morphology involved in muscle contractions/relaxation;
  • Neuromuscular functionality.

Participants will be take part in the study by performing a test for the assessment of the neuromuscular activity (voluntary muscle contractions) and undergoing a muscle ultrasound for the study of muscles and tendons.

Researchers will compare the two groups with a control group to see potential differences in the morphological and neuromuscular structures of syndromic patients.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

MFS, with an autosomal dominant inheritance, can lead to the presence of pathological systemic/syndromic phenotypes. Despite the cardiovascular involvement is responsible for the high mortality and morbidity, the skeletal system and the muscular system also present alterations at the metabolic level.

Like MFS, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a rare autosomal dominantly inherited connective tissue disorder. EDS is caused by mutations that cause impaired collagen production, therefore of pathological phenotypes affecting connective tissues such as the integumentary system, the system skeletal system, the cardiovascular system and other organs and tissues. Joint dislocations, musculoskeletal pain, atrophic scarring, and severe scoliosis may occur in patients with EDS.

To date, there are no studies in literature assessing neuromuscular properties in patients with MFS and EDS.

However, the analysis of the musculo-tendon morphological and mechanical properties makes it possible to evaluate the muscle capacity especially in pathological conditions, where the morphology and tendon mechanics are altered, thus providing pivotal information on changes in the contractile capacity of the muscle.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
65

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Italy
    • Lombardy
      • San Donato Milanese, Lombardy, Italy, 20097
        • IRCCS Policlinico San Donato

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

12 years and older (Child, Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Primary care clinic

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of Marfan syndrome or Ehlers Danlos syndrome currently in follow-up at Cardiovascular Genetic Centre IRCCS Policlinico San Donato;
  • Signed informed consent;

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Previous muscle-tendon injuries in the lower and/or upper limbs;
  • Presence of cardiac pacemaker;
  • Epilepsia;
  • Presence neurological disorders or circulatory diseases in the lower limbs;
  • Pregnancy.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
MFS_f
Patients with Marfan syndrome with fatigue
Device: Analysis with Ergometer
The analysis with the ergometer aims at assessing neuromuscular function
MFS_nf
Patients with Marfan syndrome without fatigue
Device: Analysis with Ergometer
The analysis with the ergometer aims at assessing neuromuscular function
EDS_f
Patients with Ehlers Danlos syndrome with fatigue
Device: Analysis with Ergometer
The analysis with the ergometer aims at assessing neuromuscular function
EDS_nf
Patients with Ehlers Danlos syndrome without fatigue
Device: Analysis with Ergometer
The analysis with the ergometer aims at assessing neuromuscular function
Volunteers
Healthy adult volunteers without fatigue
Device: Analysis with Ergometer
The analysis with the ergometer aims at assessing neuromuscular function

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Morphological analysis
Time Frame: 20 minutes
Non invasive analysis of the tissue through ultrasound of the leg
20 minutes
Neuromuscular properties
Time Frame: 15 seconds
Voluntary muscle contractions
15 seconds
Neuromuscular properties
Time Frame: 40 minutes
transcutaneous electrical stimulation in electromyography
40 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
IRCCS Policlinico S. Donato

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
University of Milan

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Giuliana Trifirò, MD, IRCCS Policlinico S. Donato

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 15, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 30, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 19, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 31, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 9, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 10, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 8, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • MUSCLE

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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