Knee OsteoarthritisPRTNCT07286669
Positional Release Technique of Iliotibial Band and Pes Anserine Versus Proprioception Exercise on Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis
A study testing Positional Release Technique, proprioception exercises and traditional exercise in people with Knee Osteoarthritis, run by Cairo University.
Trial summary
this studty was conducted to compare the effect of the positional release technique of the iliotibial band and Pes Anserine Versus Proprioception Exercise on Patients with knee osteoarthritis. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 45 to 70 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Knee Osteoarthritis
- What is being tested?
- Positional Release Technique, proprioception exercises and traditional exercise
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 15 Dec 2025to 30 Jun 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 45 to 70 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Both genders with knee osteoarthritis will participate in this study according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria
- An average pain intensity of ≥3 on a 10-cm visual analogue scale (VAS).
- Patients with unilateral knee osteoarthritis, for those patients with bilateral knee -Patients with grade II \&lll chronic knee osteoarthritis (clinical and imaging diagnosis X-ray.
- Patients were referred by orthopedic physician.
- Patients with body mass index <30Kg/cm2.
Who cannot join
- Previous knee surgery
- Serious valgus or varus deformity
- Past or present vascular disorder.
- Acute or chronic low back pain.
- Upper motor neuron lesion and lower motor neuron lesion.
- A history of rheumatoid arthritis.
- Presence of malignancy.
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
this studty was conducted to compare the effect of the positional release technique of the iliotibial band and Pes Anserine Versus Proprioception Exercise on Patients with knee osteoarthritis.
Read the detailed description
Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world. It is frequently accompanied by high levels of persistent pain. Osteoarthritis is the most common degenerative disease, primarily affects the articular cartilage and the subchondral bone of a synovial joint, eventually resulting in joint failure. It is a disease involving multiple alterations on the joint tissues, including cartilage degradation, bone remodeling, and osteophyte formation; this leads to clinical manifestations, including pain, stiffness, swelling, and limitations in joint function. The positional release technique is a type of manual therapy that can be used effectively in treating pain and disability that is associated with musculoskeletal dysfunctional conditions and decrease tissue tenderness by altering nociceptor activity in the soft tissues. The positional release appears to affect inappropriate proprioceptive activity, thus helping to normalize tone and set the normal length-tension relationship in the muscle. Proprioceptive exercise is an effective way to strengthen knee joint muscle function and reduce pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The current study, it may be useful to compare the effect of the positional release technique, as it is a new modality and has proven its effectiveness in several studies on decreasing pain and dysfunction and increasing range of motion, versus the proprioception exercises which also have an improvement on pain, range, and function. The knee proprioception and pain pressure threshold will be also tested to compare these techniques on knee osteoarthritis patients
- Conditions
- Knee Osteoarthritis
- Being tested
- Positional Release Technique, proprioception exercises, traditional exercise
- Keywords
- Positional Release Technique, Proprioception Exercise, Knee Osteoarthritis
- Medical subject headings
- Osteoarthritis, Knee
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Positional Release TechniqueOther
Positional release of Pes Anserine:Slide the fingers approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) medially from the tibial tuberosity onto the bony insertion site. On the well-developed patient, the mass of the tendons can be grasped as a group at the medial knee.Apply tibial traction or upward compression with the far hand for fine-tuning. Maintain for 90 seconds with repeation 3 times in a session with a break of 30 seconds. Positional release of iliotibial band:Stand on the side of the supine patient that is opposite the band to be palpated. With your hands flat, align them over the lateral thigh just below the greater trochanter of the femur.
Apply cephalad compression of the limb with the far hand or your body to fine-tune. Maintain for 90 seconds with repetition 3 times in a session with a break of 30 seconds
proprioception exercisesOther
the patients will receive proprioceptive exercises in the form of Heel Walk, Toe Walk, Sideways Knitting Walk, Sideways Step,Cross Walk, Semi Tandem Walk, Tandem Walk, High Knee Walk, Wedding Walk, Backward Wedding Walk, balance and coordination exercises.
traditional exerciseOther
Stretch exercises: Rectus femoris, Iliotibial band, Hamstring and stretch for calf muscle (3sets, each stretch 30 sec hold, 30 second relaxation between each set 5sec rests). and repeated 3 times.
Strengthen exercises: Isometric Exercises for quadriceps (10 rep,3sets), Hip abductors strengthening 45 degree (10 rep,3sets), Hip extensor strengthening 15 degree (10 rep,3sets), Straight leg raising 45-70 degree (10 rep,3sets), Short arc knee extension (10 rep,3sets)
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Positional Release Technique | Experimental | Twenty patients will receive positional release technique in addition to traditional exercises. The treatment protocol will be 3 sessions per week for six weeks Receives: Other: Positional Release Technique; Other: traditional exercise |
| proprioception exercises | Experimental | Twenty patients will receive proprioception exercises in addition to traditional exercise. The treatment protocol will be 3 sessions per week for six weeks. Receives: Other: proprioception exercises; Other: traditional exercise |
| traditional exercise | Active comparator | Twenty patients receive only traditional exercise. Treatment protocol will be 3 session per week for six weeks Receives: Other: traditional exercise |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
knee disabiity
The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) was widely used in the evaluation of Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis. It is a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 24 items divided into 3 subscales;Pain (5 items),Stiffness (2 items), Physical Function (17 items): The test questions are scored on a scale of 0-4, which correspond to: None (0), Mild (1), Moderate (2), Severe (3), and Extreme (4). The scores for each subscale are summed up, with a possible score range of 0-20 for Pain, 0-8 for Stiffness, and 0-68 for Physical Function. Usually a sum of the scores for all three subscales gives a total WOMAC score, however there are other methods that have been used to combine scores. Higher scores on the WOMAC indicate worse pain, stiffness, and functional limitations
Measured: up to 6 weeks
Secondary outcomes (4)
pain intensity
Patients recorded pain intensity on a 100 mm VAS by drawing a vertical line on the horizontally positioned VAS. The left end of the VAS represented 'no pain' and the right end 'most severe pain imaginable' with no intermediate divisions or descriptive terms
Measured: up to 6 weeks
range of motion
The most often used clinical instrument for assessing joint AROM is the digital goniometer. It is used as a valid and reliable AROM measurement device with a high validity, intra- rater and inter-rater reliability
Measured: up to six weeks
pressure pain threshold
The pressure algometer will be used to measure pressure pain threshold
Measured: up to six weeks
knee joint position error
Free inclinometer application (Goniometer Pro, 5fuf5, USA) for iPhone 6 (Apple, Cupertino, USA) at 30°, 45° and 75° target angles. Active knee joint position sense will be assessing by iPhone inclinometer application. All tests will be performed at sitting position without any contact of the feet to the floor, at a quiet place and with closed eyes
Measured: up to six weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Dec 2025
- Study start15 Dec 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completion30 Jun 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Jun 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Knee OsteoarthritisStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Cairo UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- positional release technique and proprioception exrecises
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Cairo University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Nabil Mahmoud Ismail Abdel-Aal, Cairo University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07286669
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- P.T.REC/012/006112
- Acronym
- PRT
- Status last verified
- Dec 2025
- First submitted
- 3 Dec 2025
- Last updated
- 16 Dec 2025
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Dec 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Positional Release Technique of Iliotibial Band and Pes Anserine Versus Proprioception Exercise on Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07286669
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PRT / P.T.REC/012/006112
- Conditions
- Knee Osteoarthritis
- Keywords
- Positional Release Technique, Proprioception Exercise, Knee Osteoarthritis
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Cairo UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 15 Dec 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jun 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 16 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
this studty was conducted to compare the effect of the positional release technique of the iliotibial band and Pes Anserine Versus Proprioception Exercise on Patients with knee osteoarthritis.
Detailed description
Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world. It is frequently accompanied by high levels of persistent pain. Osteoarthritis is the most common degenerative disease, primarily affects the articular cartilage and the subchondral bone of a synovial joint, eventually resulting in joint failure. It is a disease involving multiple alterations on the joint tissues, including cartilage degradation, bone remodeling, and osteophyte formation; this leads to clinical manifestations, including pain, stiffness, swelling, and limitations in joint function. The positional release technique is a type of manual therapy that can be used effectively in treating pain and disability that is associated with musculoskeletal dysfunctional conditions and decrease tissue tenderness by altering nociceptor activity in the soft tissues. The positional release appears to affect inappropriate proprioceptive activity, thus helping to normalize tone and set the normal length-tension relationship in the muscle. Proprioceptive exercise is an effective way to strengthen knee joint muscle function and reduce pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The current study, it may be useful to compare the effect of the positional release technique, as it is a new modality and has proven its effectiveness in several studies on decreasing pain and dysfunction and increasing range of motion, versus the proprioception exercises which also have an improvement on pain, range, and function. The knee proprioception and pain pressure threshold will be also tested to compare these techniques on knee osteoarthritis patients
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- positional release technique and proprioception exrecises
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Positional Release Technique | Experimental | Other: Positional Release Technique, Other: traditional exerciseTwenty patients will receive positional release technique in addition to traditional exercises. The treatment protocol will be 3 sessions per week for six weeks |
| proprioception exercises | Experimental | Other: proprioception exercises, Other: traditional exerciseTwenty patients will receive proprioception exercises in addition to traditional exercise. The treatment protocol will be 3 sessions per week for six weeks. |
| traditional exercise | Active comparator | Other: traditional exerciseTwenty patients receive only traditional exercise. Treatment protocol will be 3 session per week for six weeks |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 45 to 70 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Both genders with knee osteoarthritis will participate in this study according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria
- An average pain intensity of ≥3 on a 10-cm visual analogue scale (VAS).
- Patients with unilateral knee osteoarthritis, for those patients with bilateral knee -Patients with grade II \&lll chronic knee osteoarthritis (clinical and imaging diagnosis X-ray.
- Patients were referred by orthopedic physician.
- Patients with body mass index <30Kg/cm2.
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Previous knee surgery
- Serious valgus or varus deformity
- Past or present vascular disorder.
- Acute or chronic low back pain.
- Upper motor neuron lesion and lower motor neuron lesion.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Positional Release TechniquePositional release of Pes Anserine:Slide the fingers approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) medially from the tibial tuberosity onto the bony insertion site. On the well-developed patient, the mass of the tendons can be grasped as a group at the medial knee.Apply tibial traction or upward compression with the far hand for fine-tuning. Maintain for 90 seconds with repeation 3 times in a session with a break of 30 seconds. Positional release of iliotibial band:Stand on the side of the supine patient that is opposite the band to be palpated. With your hands flat, align them over the lateral thigh just below the greater trochanter of the femur. Apply cephalad compression of the limb with the far hand or your body to fine-tune. Maintain for 90 seconds with repetition 3 times in a session with a break of 30 seconds | Other | Positional Release Technique |
| proprioception exercisesthe patients will receive proprioceptive exercises in the form of Heel Walk, Toe Walk, Sideways Knitting Walk, Sideways Step,Cross Walk, Semi Tandem Walk, Tandem Walk, High Knee Walk, Wedding Walk, Backward Wedding Walk, balance and coordination exercises. | Other | proprioception exercises |
| traditional exerciseStretch exercises: Rectus femoris, Iliotibial band, Hamstring and stretch for calf muscle (3sets, each stretch 30 sec hold, 30 second relaxation between each set 5sec rests). and repeated 3 times. Strengthen exercises: Isometric Exercises for quadriceps (10 rep,3sets), Hip abductors strengthening 45 degree (10 rep,3sets), Hip extensor strengthening 15 degree (10 rep,3sets), Straight leg raising 45-70 degree (10 rep,3sets), Short arc knee extension (10 rep,3sets) | Other | Positional Release Technique, proprioception exercises, traditional exercise |
Primary outcome
knee disabiity
Time frame: up to 6 weeks
The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) was widely used in the evaluation of Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis. It is a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 24 items divided into 3 subscales;Pain (5 items),Stiffness (2 items), Physical Function (17 items): The test questions are scored on a scale of 0-4, which correspond to: None (0), Mild (1), Moderate (2), Severe (3), and Extreme (4). The scores for each subscale are summed up, with a possible score range of 0-20 for Pain, 0-8 for Stiffness, and 0-68 for Physical Function. Usually a sum of the scores for all three subscales gives a total WOMAC score, however there are other methods that have been used to combine scores. Higher scores on the WOMAC indicate worse pain, stiffness, and functional limitations
4 secondary outcomes
pain intensity
Time frame: up to 6 weeks
range of motion
Time frame: up to six weeks
pressure pain threshold
Time frame: up to six weeks
knee joint position error
Time frame: up to six weeks
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Dec 2025.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Positional Release Technique, proprioception exercises and traditional exercise in people with Knee Osteoarthritis, run by Cairo University.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Dec 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Nabil Abdel-Aal, phd (01200133613, nabil.mahmoud@cu.edu.eg), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
knee disabiity (time frame: up to 6 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Dec 2025.