Low Frequency Ultrasound for Osteoarthritis Healing and Rehabilitation

March 5, 2026 updated by: The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston
The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and effectiveness (how well it works) of a new experimental ultrasound bath device that uses low frequency ultrasound (LFU) that may or may not help healing.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Suspended

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

This initial study is a pilot study which is going to test the safety and efficacy of the developed ultrasound intervention for osteoarthritis, initially on osteoarthritis of the knee. This study is a pilot study to evaluate two distinct variables. The first is the safety and efficacy of the device, and the second is the potential impact the device may have on patients as their osteoarthritic joints react to the LFU, using patient-reported outcomes associated with this study. The ultrasound will be delivered at a frequency of 33 kHz at power levels of 4-10 Pascals with a program of 1.6 seconds on and 1.6 seconds off. The generators will be encased in epoxy within the Osteoarthritis baths. The intervention will be repeated on every second or third day to allow time for healing

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.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

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.
10

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

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

  • United States
    • Texas
      • Galveston, Texas, United States, 777555
        • University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Subject has provided informed consent in a manner approved by the IRB and is willing and able to comply with the trial procedures.
  2. Adults at least ≥40 years of age at the time of consent.
  3. Chronic knee pain within the past 6 months.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Any other arthritic condition clinically classified under ACR guidelines as different from an Osteoarthritic disorder.
  2. Any medical condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would place the subject at increased risk for participation.
  3. History of replacement surgery, acupuncture therapy on the joint/knee under study within the past 6 months, or systemic corticosteroids within the study period and previous 30 days.
  4. Subject's vitals are unstable or not in range for a safe study visit.
  5. History of fecal incontinence.
  6. Vomiting/Diarrheal illness within the past 7 days or at any time during the study.
  7. Any clinically significant rash or formation of rashes or open sores, boils or infected wounds two weeks prior to or during the study.
  8. Laboratory evidence of infection or colonization with multidrug resistant pathogens in the past 90 days (eg. vancomycin resistant enterococcus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus, Candida auris, extended- spectrum beta lactamase bacteria)
  9. History of prior non-compliance or the presence or history of psychiatric conditions (including drug or alcohol addiction) that would, in the opinion of the investigator, make it difficult for the subject to comply with the study procedures or follow the investigators instructions.
  10. Females who are pregnant or lactating.
  11. Inability to comply with study protocol.
  12. Incarcerated individuals.
  13. Non-English speaking subjects.
  14. Participant's weight must be </= 350 lbs.

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

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
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.
Experimental: Low Frequency Ultrasound (LFU) Intervention
Subjects will be given ultrasound at a frequency of 33 kHz with a program of 1.6 seconds on and 1.6 seconds off for 30 min at either a power level of 4 or 10 Pascals to determine which power level is optimal for osteoarthritis. Follow up visits after two-three days will be used to continue therapy.
Device: Low Frequency Ultrasound Therapy
The ultrasound will be delivered at a frequency of 33 kHz at power levels of 4-10 Pascals with a program of 1.6 seconds on and 1.6 seconds off. The generators will be encased in epoxy within the Osteoarthritis baths. The intervention will be repeated on every second or third day to allow time for healing

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
Participant-Reported Safety and Efficacy Following Use of Investigational Device
Time Frame: From device use through completion of the final study visit, up to one year
The number of participants who report any device-related safety concerns following use of the investigational non-significant risk device, as assessed by participant-reported surveys.
From device use through completion of the final study visit, up to one year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Participants with Osteoarthritic Joints Reaction to the LFU
Time Frame: one year
To determine the potential impact the device may have on patients as their osteoarthritic joints react to the LFU, which will be denoted by surveys.
one year

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.
The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston

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: Thomas Blackwell, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston

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.
July 31, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
February 1, 2027

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.
February 1, 2027

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).
July 31, 2024

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.
August 15, 2024

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.
August 20, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

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.
March 6, 2026

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.
March 5, 2026

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.
March 1, 2026

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.
  • 23-0164

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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