3-Needle vs 5-Needle of Genicular Nerve Block on Pain and Quality of Life in Knee Osteoarthritis

NCT07853170 — Not applicable, Recruiting, 80 participants, Tanta University

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A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Effectiveness of 3-Needle vs 5-Needle of Genicular Nerve Block on Pain and Quality of Life in Knee Osteoarthritis

Registry	NCT07853170
Status	Recruiting
Phase	Not applicable
Study type	Interventional; randomized, parallel, masking: double, treatment
Enrollment	80 (Estimated)
Sponsor	Tanta University (Other)
Conditions	3-Needle, 5-Needle, Genicular Nerve Block, Pain, Quality of Life, Knee Osteoarthritis
Interventions	3-nerve-targeted group, 5-nerve-targeted group (Other)
Dates	start 2026-10-04, primary completion 2027-09-01 (estimated), completion 2027-09-01 (estimated), first posted 2026-10-01, last updated 2026-10-06
Locations	1 site in Egypt

-Summary

This study aims to compare the 3-needle and 5-needle of genicular nerve block on pain and quality of life in Knee osteoarthritis (KOA).

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+Detailed description

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common musculoskeletal disorder characterized by degeneration of articular cartilage and the subchondral bone. It leads to pain, stiffness, and functional decline in the affected knee joints.

Currently, the classical 3- nerve protocol targeting the superior medial, superior lateral, and inferior medial genicular nerves is the most commonly used technique for radiofrequency procedures.

Therefore, a five-needle Genicular nerve blocks (GNB) technique has been proposed to provide a more comprehensive blockade by targeting additional sensory branches.

+Arms and interventions

Arm	Type	Interventions	Description
Group I (3-nerve-targeted group)	Experimental	Other: 3-nerve-targeted group	Patients will receive 3-nerve protocol.
Group II (5-nerve-targeted group)	Experimental	Other: 5-nerve-targeted group	Patients will receive 5-nerve protocol.

3-nerve-targeted group (Other): Patients will receive 3-nerve protocol.
5-nerve-targeted group (Other): Patients will receive 5-nerve protocol.

+Outcome measures

Primary outcomes

Degree of pain [6 months postoperatively]: Each patient will be instructed about postoperative pain assessment with the numeric rating scale (NRS) score. NRS (0 represents "no pain" while 10 represents "the worst pain imaginable").

Secondary outcomes

Measurement of Quality of life [6 months postoperatively]: The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) is a self-administered health status questionnaire and consists of 24 items divided into 3 subscales: pain (5 items), stiffness (2 items), and physical function (17 items). Accordingly, higher scores on the WOMAC indicate worse pain, stiffness, and functional limitation. The WOMAC will be assessed at each follow-up point
Patients' opioid medication use [6 months after treatment]: Patients' opioid medication use will be evaluated before treatment and at 6 months after treatment.
Degree of patient satisfaction [6 months postoperatively]: Degree of patient satisfaction will be assessed on a 5-point Likert scale patient satisfaction (1, extremely dissatisfied; 2, unsatisfied; 3, neutral; 4, satisfied; 5, extremely satisfied)

+Eligibility

Sex: All, ages: 18 Years to any

Inclusion Criteria:

* Age ≥18 years.
* Both sexes.
* Patients with unilateral chronic knee pain for more than 3 months.
* Patients received conservative treatment for at least 3 months.
* Diagnosed Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria, and grade greater than or equal to Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Chronic knee pain is due to causes other than KOA, such as connective tissue diseases, lumbar radicular neuropathy (spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis), or sciatic pain.
* Knee effusion.
* Neuro/psychiatric disorders.
* History of intra-articular injection in the prior 3 months.
* Prior knee surgery.
* Active systemic or local knee infections; anticoagulant use.

+Locations (1)

Facility	City	Country	Status
Tanta University	Tanta, El-Gharbia	Egypt	Recruiting

+Publications

Results publication: Geng R, Li J, Yu C, Zhang C, Chen F, Chen J, Ni H, Wang J, Kang K, Wei Z, Xu Y, Jin T. Knee osteoarthritis: Current status and research progress in treatment (Review). Exp Ther Med. 2023 Aug 25;26(4):481. doi: 10.3892/etm.2023.12180. eCollection 2023 Oct. PMID 37745043