Different types of pain may be present in patients with hand osteoarthritis, including nociceptive pain and non-nociceptive pain. This makes adequate pain treatment difficult, and thus new treatment options are needed. To this end, this trial will evaluate the effect of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency for the treatment of hand osteoarthritis pain.
In this randomized clinical trial, patients with hand osteoarthritis, recruited from the Leiden University Medical Center Rheumatology outpatient clinic, aged 18-80 and fulfilling hand pain criteria will be randomized to undergo trancutaneous pulsed radiofrequency therapy of the hand or a sham. The effect will be measured in change in 10 point numeric rating scale for pain in the hand over 6 weeks. This RCT will have little burdens and risk for the subjects. The proposed intervention, tPRF, is well tolerated, with no known serious side effects.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
60
single treatment with transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency, for a duration of 15 minutes, at a strength of 800 mA.
Sham treatment by turning on the device in demo mode. No treatment delivered, but indistinguishable by sound or visual signals or sensations felt by the study participant
Leiden University Medical Centre
Leiden, South Holland, Netherlands
RECRUITINGHand pain at 6 weeks after trancutaneous pulsed radiofrequency or sham
Hand pain measured in a 0-10 numeric rating scale after trancutaneous pulsed radiofrequency or sham
Time frame: 6 weeks
Hand pain at 12 weeks after trancutaneous pulsed radiofrequency or sham
Hand pain measured in a 0-10 numeric rating scale after trancutaneous pulsed radiofrequency or sham
Time frame: 12 weeks
Efficacy of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency on hand function
Efficacy of trancutaneous pulsed radiofrequency on hand function (Australian/Canadian Hand Osteoarthritis Index \[AUSCAN\] function subscale, range 0-36, with higher scores indicating lower function)
Time frame: 6 weeks, 12 weeks
Efficacy of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency on hand stiffness
Efficacy of trancutaneous pulsed radiofrequency on hand stiffness (Australian/Canadian Hand Osteoarthritis Index \[AUSCAN\] stiffness subscale, range 0-4, with higher scores indicating more stiffness)
Time frame: 6 weeks, 12 weeks
Efficacy of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency on the number of tender joints
Efficacy of trancutaneous pulsed radiofrequency on the number of tender joints (Tender joint count)
Time frame: 6 weeks, 12 weeks
Efficacy of trancutaneous pulsed radiofrequency on anxiety
Efficacy of trancutaneous pulsed radiofrequency on anxiety measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, anxiety subscale, range 0-21, with higher scores indicating higher likeliness of anxiety, in patients with hand osteoarthritis
Time frame: 6 weeks, 12 weeks
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Efficacy of trancutaneous pulsed radiofrequency on depression
Efficacy of trancutaneous pulsed radiofrequency on depression measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, depression subscale, range 0-21, with higher scores indicating higher likeliness of depression, in patients with hand osteoarthritis
Time frame: 6 weeks, 12 weeks
Global perceived effect of recovery due to trancutaneous pulsed radiofrequency
Global perceived effect of recovery due to trancutaneous pulsed radiofrequency, range 0-7, with lower scores indicating better outcomes, reported by patients with hand osteoarthritis
Time frame: 6 weeks, 12 weeks
Global perceived effect of satisfaction with trancutaneous pulsed radiofrequency
Global perceived effect of satisfaction with trancutaneous pulsed radiofrequency, range 0-7, with lower scores indicating better outcomes, reported by patients with hand osteoarthritis
Time frame: 6 weeks, 12 weeks
Effect of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency therapy on health related quality of life
Effect of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency therapy on health related quality of life measured with Short Form-36. Scores are standardized with a mean of 50 and sd of 10, with higher scores indicating better outcomes
Time frame: 6 weeks, 12 weeks
Effect of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency therapy on temporal summation assessed using a 256 mN PinPrick
Effect of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency therapy on abnormalities measured with temporal summation, scored as present or absent. Patients will receive a single stimulation with the pinprick, scored 0-10 on NRS pain, followed by 10 stimuli with the pinprick, of which the last stimulus is scores 0-10 on NRS pain. This is repeated 5 times. The single stimuli are averaged, as are the 10th stimuli, and the ratio between these averages is calculated. A ratio \>2 is indicative of temporal summation.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Effect of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency therapy on numbness of the hand.
Effect of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency therapy on numbness scored as present or absent, based on 5 stimuli with the PinPrick. Any stimulus rated as numb is regarded abnormal.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Effect of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency therapy on allodynia
Effect of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency therapy on allodynia, scored as present or absent. Scoring based on stimuli with a standardized brush, which is used to apply 5 stimuli to the back of the hand. Any of the stimuli evoking pain (score of \>0 on a 0-10 NRS) is regarded as abnormal.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Effect of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency therapy on PainDETECT scores
Effect of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency therapy on PainDETECT scores (range -1 to 38, with scores \<13 indicating presence of neuropathic pain is unlikely, scores 13-18 indicating presence of neuropathic pain is undetermined and scores \>18 indicating neuropathic pain presence is likely).
Time frame: 6 weeks, 12 weeks
Effect of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency therapy on Michigan Hand Outcome Questionnaire
Effect of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency therapy on MHOQ scores, ranged 0-100 per domain, with higher scores indicating better oucomes.
Time frame: 6 weeks, 12 weeks
Effect of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency therapy on AUSCAN pain scores
Effect of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency therapy on AUSCAN pain scores (Australian/Canadian Hand Osteoarthritis Index \[AUSCAN\] pain subscale, range 0-20, with higher scores indicating more pain)
Time frame: 6 weeks, 12 weeks
Effect of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency therapy on central sensitization index scores
Effect of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency therapy on central sensitization index scores, range 0-100, with higher scores indicating more signs of central sensitization.
Time frame: 6 weeks, 12 weeks