Preoperative Acupuncture for Total Knee or Hip Arthroplasty ((Acupuncture))

March 25, 2025 updated by: Pranjali P Kainkaryam, MD, Hartford Hospital

Open-Label Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess Preoperative Acupuncture for Patients Undergoing Total Knee or Hip Arthroplasty

Open-label, randomized controlled trial to determine the effect of preoperative acupuncture on preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain for high-anxiety patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty. The hypothesis is that preoperative acupuncture will reduce preoperative anxiety, reduce postoperative pain, reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting, reduce opioid consumption, and improve patient satisfaction.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Acupuncture has been extensively practiced and studied worldwide, particularly as a part of Eastern medicine, but it is a relatively uncommon therapy offered in Western medical institutions, such as those in the United States. Considering the commonly cited benefits of acupuncture, such as reduced anxiety and pain, hospitals throughout the United States have the opportunity to implement acupuncture as a cost-effective and safe technique for improving surgical outcomes.

Acupuncture administered in the preoperative period can be particularly effective for reducing preoperative anxiety, postoperative pain, postoperative opioid consumption, and postoperative nausea and vomiting. Consequently, preoperative acupuncture can improve patient satisfaction and decrease hospital costs. However, due to a lack of implementation and experience, further research is needed to establish the safety and efficacy of preoperative acupuncture in United States medical practices.

At the Bone-and-Joint Institute at Hartford Hospital, where this study is proposed, a quality study on total knee or hip arthroplasty patients found that 21% of its monthly patients were "high-anxiety" according to the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS). Thus, there is a significant population of patients who would benefit from a procedure to reduce preoperative anxiety at our facility.

This proposal is for a prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial to determine the effect of preoperative acupuncture on preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain for high-anxiety patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty. The hypothesis is that preoperative acupuncture will reduce preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain as well as reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting and opioid consumption and improve patient satisfaction. The study population is to include adult patients undergoing lower extremity total joint arthroplasty, including hip and knee joints, at the Bone-and-Joint Institute at Hartford Hospital.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

60

Phase

  • 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 Locations

    • Connecticut
      • Hartford, Connecticut, United States, 06106
        • Bone and Joint Institute- Hartford Hospital

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Female (age 52 to 85) or male (age 18-85) patients undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty or Total Hip Arthroplasty at the Bone-and Joint Institute at Hartford Hospital
  • Patients classified as high-anxiety based on having a score of >10 on the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS-A-T). The APAIS-A-T is a modified survey that reliably quantifies total preoperative anxiety using summed scores for anesthesia and surgery-related anxiety; a minimum score of 11 is the most accurate cutoff to identify patients with anxiety

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Unable to give consent
  • Uncontrolled diabetes (HbA1c ≥ 8.0%)
  • Infection at any of the acupuncture points
  • Known allergy to metals
  • Abnormal laboratory blood work values (INR>1.5, if available; platelet count <70,000, if available)
  • Patients with active ongoing coagulopathy based on lab data (INR >1.5) and/or on current anticoagulant use which increases bleeding risk.
  • Non-English speaking
  • Revision TKA or THA
  • Women of reproductive age or under the age of 52 years old, as acupuncture is not recommended during pregnancy. They were excluded due to the potential conflict between our institute's standard timing for pregnancy tests on the day of surgery and the scheduled preoperative acupuncture session for the study, to avoid unwanted delays in the operating room schedule.

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: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Acupuncture
Preoperative acupuncture

The acupuncture intervention includes a combination of auricular and body acupuncture. The auricular points used are Shen men, Zero point, Tranquilizer point, and Master cerebral.

The body points used are the wrist PC6.

Other Names:
  • DBC™ Detox-5 Acupuncture Needles (SKU: DTX.20X13) and ure needles o 1) SEIRIN J-Type Acupuncture Needles (SKU: SJ.18X30)
No Intervention: Control
No acupuncture

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Perioperative Anxiety
Time Frame: Prior to acupuncture and 30 minutes after acupuncture
Determine the effect of preoperative acupuncture on preoperative anxiety in the acupuncture group using VAS (Visual Analog Scale) which is a 10 centimeters line in length, from 0-100, with 0 at the left extreme being "not at all anxious" and 100 at the right extreme being "very anxious". Participants put a cross on the line to indicate how they felt at the time point used. A higher score means worse as it means high anxiety.
Prior to acupuncture and 30 minutes after acupuncture
Postoperative Pain in the First 3 Postoperative Hours
Time Frame: Total mean pain in the first 3 postoperative hours
Determine the effect of preoperative acupuncture on postoperative pain in both groups, using the self-reported NPS (Numeric Pain Scale) which is a scale of 0-10 where 0 is "no pain" and 10 is "severe pain". Using the mean pain score to compare the mean of the total pain in the first 3 postoperative hours between groups.
Total mean pain in the first 3 postoperative hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Preoperative Pain
Time Frame: Prior to acupuncture and 30 minutes after acupuncture
Determine the effect of preoperative acupuncture on preoperative pain in the acupuncture group using the self-reported NPS (Numeric Pain Scale) which is a scale of 0-10 where 0 is "no pain" and 10 is "severe pain". Using the mean pain score to compare pre-acupuncture pain to post-acupuncture pain score in the acupuncture group only.
Prior to acupuncture and 30 minutes after acupuncture
Patient Satisfaction With Acupuncture Procedure
Time Frame: Within 1 week after hospital discharge
Patients' satisfaction with acupuncture intervention was assessed in the acupuncture group only using the satisfaction scale of (1-5), where 1 is Extremely satisfied, 2 is Very satisfied, 3 is Somewhat satisfied, 4 is Not very satisfied, and 5 is Not at all satisfied. Each frequency represented the percentage of patients who were satisfied (given a score of 1 or 2 out of 5) with their acupuncture treatment. This assessment was done within a week after discharge, via a phone call.
Within 1 week after hospital discharge
Opioid Consumption
Time Frame: During hospitalization, up to 24 hours post surgery
Postoperative opioid consumption to be converted into morphine milliequivalents (MMEs) and compared between the two groups for up to 24 hours post surgery.
During hospitalization, up to 24 hours post surgery
Midazolam Use as Anxiolytic Medications
Time Frame: During hospitalization, up to 24 hours post surgery
The dose of Midazolam as an anxiolytic medication that was given at any time throughout hospitalization up to 24 postoperative hours.
During hospitalization, up to 24 hours post surgery
Patient Satisfaction Scale With Overall Care
Time Frame: Within 1 week after hospital discharge
Patients' satisfaction with overall care management was compared using the patient satisfaction scale of (1-10), where 1 is extremely unsatisfied and 10 is extremely satisfied with overall care. Each frequency represents the percentage of patients in each group who have been either satisfied or extremely satisfied (given a score of 9 or 10 out of 10). This assessment was done within a week after discharge, via a phone call.
Within 1 week after hospital discharge
Occurrence of Nausea and Vomiting at First Postoperative Hour
Time Frame: At 1 postoperative hour
Compare the occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting using the Simplified Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting Impact Scale which consists of two questions, with a possible response total score of 0-6. Response score totals of 0-2 require no intervention. Response score totals of 3-4 may necessitate antiemetic medication. Response score totals of 5-6 are considered clinically important nausea requiring medication intervention, as this would constitute patients with excessive vomiting. This scale was used to report the occurrence of nausea (yes/no), with "yes" defined as any number above 0 in the scale, while "no" defined as 0.
At 1 postoperative hour
Antiemetic Medications
Time Frame: During hospitalization, up to 24 hours post surgery
The frequency of any antiemetic medication given at any time throughout hospitalization up to 24 postoperative hours
During hospitalization, up to 24 hours post surgery
Hospital Length of Stay
Time Frame: From the date and time of admission to the date and time of discharge, assessed as 24-48 hours
Using the hospital admission and discharge dates & times; this will be compared between the two groups.
From the date and time of admission to the date and time of discharge, assessed as 24-48 hours
Postoperative Pain Upon Arrival to the PACU
Time Frame: Postoperative pain at time of PACU arrival
Determine the effect of preoperative acupuncture on postoperative pain in both groups, using the self-reported NPS (Numeric Pain Scale) which is a scale of 0-10 where 0 is "no pain" and 10 is "severe pain". Using the mean pain score to compare the mean pain scores between groups upon arrival to the PACU.
Postoperative pain at time of PACU arrival
Postoperative Pain at 1 Postoperative Hour
Time Frame: At the first postoperative hour
Determine the effect of preoperative acupuncture on postoperative pain in both groups, using the self-reported NPS (Numeric Pain Scale) which is a scale of 0-10 where 0 is "no pain" and 10 is "severe pain". Using the mean pain score to compare the mean of pain scores at the first postoperative hour between groups.
At the first postoperative hour
Postoperative Pain After 3 Postoperative Hours
Time Frame: After three postoperative hours
Determine the effect of preoperative acupuncture on postoperative pain in both groups, using the self-reported NPS (Numeric Pain Scale) which is a scale of 0-10 where 0 is "no pain" and 10 is "severe pain". Using the mean pain score to compare the mean pain scores after three postoperative hours between groups.
After three postoperative hours
Number of Participants That Received Midazolam Dose >2mg
Time Frame: During hospitalization up to 24 postoperative hours
The number of participants who received a dose of midazolam exceeding 2 mg indicated a high level of perioperative anxiety that necessitated pharmacological intervention. The decision to use a dose higher than 2 mg was based on the standard practice of administering 2 mg of midazolam for preoperative regional nerve blocks; any dosage surpassing this amount was specifically intended for anxiety management.
During hospitalization up to 24 postoperative hours
Patient's Satisfaction With Pain Management
Time Frame: Within 1 week after hospital discharge
Patients' satisfaction with their postoperative pain management was compared between groups using the satisfaction scale of (1-10), where 1 is extremely unsatisfied and 10 is extremely satisfied. Each frequency represented the percentage of patients in each group who were satisfied (given a score of 9 or 10 out of 10)This assessment was done within a week after discharge, via a phone call.
Within 1 week after hospital discharge
Patient's Satisfaction With Anxiety Management
Time Frame: Within 1 week after hospital discharge
Patients' satisfaction with their perioperative anxiety management was compared between groups using the satisfaction scale of (1-10), where 1 is extremely unsatisfied and 10 is extremely satisfied. Each frequency represented the percentage of patients in each group who were satisfied (given a score of 9 or 10 out of 10). This assessment was done within a week after discharge, via a phone call.
Within 1 week after hospital discharge
Acupuncture Patients Who Were Likely to Consider Acupuncture for Future Surgeries
Time Frame: Within 1 week after hospital discharge
Patients with acupuncture intervention were assessed for how likely to consider acupuncture for future surgeries using a scale of (1-4), where 1 is Very likely, 2 is Likely, 3 is Maybe, and 4 is Never. Each frequency represented the percentage of patients who were more likely (given a score of 1 or 2 out of 4) to receive acupuncture treatment in a future surgery. This assessment was done within a week after discharge, via a phone call.
Within 1 week after hospital discharge
Occurrence of Nausea and Vomiting After 3 Postoperative Hours
Time Frame: After 3 postoperative hours
Compare the occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting using the Simplified Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting Impact Scale which consists of two questions, with a possible response total score of 0-6. Response score totals of 0-2 require no intervention. Response score totals of 3-4 may necessitate antiemetic medication. Response score totals of 5-6 are considered clinically important nausea requiring medication intervention, as this would constitute patients with excessive vomiting. This scale was used to report the occurrence of nausea (yes/no), with "yes" defined as any number above 0 in the scale, while "no" defined as 0.
After 3 postoperative hours
Postoperative Pain in the First 3 Postoperative Hours (Group X Time)
Time Frame: Mean pain scores at arrival to Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, 1st Postoperative hour, and 3rd Postoperative hour
Determine the effect of preoperative acupuncture on postoperative pain in both groups, using the self-reported NPS (Numeric Pain Scale) which is a scale of 0-10 where 0 is "no pain" and 10 is "severe pain". To compare mean pain scores between groups, considering all 3 individual time points (at arrival to Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, 1st Postoperative hour, and 3rd Postoperative hour)
Mean pain scores at arrival to Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, 1st Postoperative hour, and 3rd Postoperative hour

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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)

March 21, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 3, 2023

Study Completion (Actual)

May 3, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 19, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 19, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

October 25, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 26, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 25, 2025

Last Verified

March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • HHC-2021-0348

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

Yes

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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