OsteearthritisNCT07438392
Tecar Therapy in Chronic Knee Osteoarthritis
A study testing Tecar Therapy and conventional physical therapy in people with Osteearthritis, run by Kirsehir Ahi Evran Universitesi at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
This study aimed to investigate the effects of Tecar therapy on pain, physical function, and physical capacity in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 40 to 75 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Osteearthritis
- What is being tested?
- Tecar Therapy and conventional physical therapy
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 1 Apr 2026to 1 Aug 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 40 to 75 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Patients with Kellgren-Lawrence stage 2 or 3 knee osteoarthritis
- Patients with bilateral knee pain for at least 6 weeks
- Male and female patients aged 40-75
- Patients who accept and sign the informed consent form
Who cannot join
- Those who have received physical therapy for knee pain in the last 6 months
- Those who have received intraarticular injection treatments such as hyaluronic acid, PRP, or steroids for knee pain in the last 6 months
- Those who have undergone knee surgery for any reason
- Those with inflammatory arthritis
- Those with existing neurological, cognitive, or psychiatric disorders
- Those with pacemakers
Show all 11Show fewer
- Those with a history of malignancy
- Those with local vascular or sensory impairment
- Those with local or systemic infections
- Those with open wounds on the skin
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
Kırşehir Ahi Evran Üniversitesi
Kırşehir, Kırşehir
Nazife Kapan Tunçer, Asst. Prof., 03862803924, nazifekapan@gmail.com
About this study
Official title: Effects of Tecar Therapy (Targeted Radiofrequency Therapy) on Pain, Physical Function, and Physical Capacity in Patients With Chronic Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This study aimed to investigate the effects of Tecar therapy on pain, physical function, and physical capacity in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis.
Read the detailed description
Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative, inflammatory, and chronic joint disease with an increasing incidence and prevalence worldwide. By causing pain, disability, and deterioration in quality of life, it constitutes a significant public health problem globally. Furthermore, the health, social, and economic burdens associated with chronic knee osteoarthritis are expected to increase in the future. For these reasons, and due to the rising incidence of the disease, clinicians are increasingly focusing on novel treatment strategies.
Currently, both surgical and non-surgical treatment modalities are used in the management of chronic knee osteoarthritis. The cornerstone of treatment consists of patient education, exercise, and weight control. Subsequent steps include pharmacological treatments, intra-articular injections, and physical therapy modalities. These modalities include transcutaneous electrical stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound, thermal modalities, laser therapy, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, electromagnetic field therapy, and capacitive and resistive electric transfer (Tecar therapy).
Tecar therapy is an endogenous diathermy modality that operates in the long-wave range using radiofrequency energy of approximately 0.5 MHz to heat the treated tissues. It consists of two electrodes-capacitive and resistive-with a long-wave current generator and multi-frequency sequential emission systems that deliver energy to tissues in two different modes. In the capacitive mode, an insulated electrode with a metal plate is generally used. The electrical charges generated by the radiofrequency generator accumulate near the insulated electrode, which acts as a dielectric surface. This method is used for the treatment of superficial tissues adjacent to the insulated electrode. In the resistive mode, two metal electrodes distribute electrical charges that tend to accumulate near bone, tendon, and connective tissue.
Tecar therapy has been shown to have positive effects on pain and quality of life in many patients with degenerative and inflammatory orthopedic conditions. Among diathermy modalities, Tecar therapy is considered one of the most appropriate and safe methods, as-unlike ultrasound-it has no limitation in terms of treatment area and does not cause excessive heat accumulation between the skin and the electrode .
To the best of our knowledge, there are very few studies investigating the use of Tecar therapy in chronic knee osteoarthritis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Tecar therapy on pain, physical function, and physical capacity in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis.
- Conditions
- Osteearthritis
- Being tested
- Tecar Therapy, ShamTecar Therapy, conventional physical therapy
- Keywords
- osteoarthritis, Radiofrequency Therapy, Pain, Physical Functional Performance
- Medical subject headings
- Osteoarthritis, Pain
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Tecar TherapyOther
Tecar Therapy and conventional physical therapy
ShamTecar TherapyOther
ShamTecar Therapy and conventional physical therapy
conventional physical therapyOther
conventional physical therapy
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Tecar theraphy | Experimental | Conventional physical therapy and Tecar therapy:
Conventional physiotherapy will include 15 sessions of TENS (100 Hz frequency, 10-30 mA intensity) and Hotpack therapy for all groups, 5 sessions per week over 3 weeks. A heating pad will be applied to the painful knee area for 20 minutes to provide superficial heat, followed by 20 minutes of TENS at 100 Hz using an HP or Chattanooga device. Simultaneously, all groups will receive knee isometric and Theraband exercise therapy under the supervision of a physiotherapist. This group will also receive TECAR therapy three times a week for three weeks, a total of nine sessions, at 0.5 MHz frequency, in a 5 min CAP + 10 min RES + 5 min CAP mode, administered by an experienced physiotherapist. Receives: Other: Tecar Therapy; Other: conventional physical therapy |
| Sham tecar theraphy | Experimental | Conventional physical therapy and sham Tecar therapy:
Conventional physiotherapy will include 15 sessions of TENS (100 Hz frequency, 10-30 mA intensity) and Hotpack therapy for all groups, 5 sessions per week over 3 weeks. A heating pad will be applied to the painful knee area for 20 minutes to provide superficial heat, followed by 20 minutes of TENS at 100 Hz using an HP or Chattanooga device. Simultaneously, all groups will receive knee isometric and Theraband exercise therapy under the supervision of a physiotherapist. This group will also receive TECAR sham therapy three times a week for three weeks, a total of nine sessions, at 0.5 MHz frequency, in a 5 min CAP + 10 min RES + 5 min CAP mode, administered by an experienced physiotherapist. The gel will be applied before the device is activated. Receives: Other: ShamTecar Therapy; Other: conventional physical therapy |
| conventional physiotherapy | Experimental | Conventional FTR:
Conventional physical therapy will include 15 sessions of TENS (100 Hz frequency, 10-30 mA intensity) and Hotpack therapy for all groups, 5 sessions per week over 3 weeks. A heating pad will be applied to the painful knee area for 20 minutes to provide superficial heat, followed by 20 minutes of TENS at 100 Hz using an HP or Chattanooga device. Simultaneously, all groups will receive knee isometric and Theraband exercise therapy under the supervision of a physiotherapist. Receives: Other: conventional physical therapy |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Visual Analog Scale
VAS is a pain rating scale with numbers 0 and 10. Here 0 means 'no pain' and 10 means 'unbearable pain'. The participant will rate the pain according to the scale. Patients' night, rest and activity pain will be evaluated separately.
Measured: baseline, 3th week, 12th week
Secondary outcomes (2)
WOMAC
WOMAC consists of three main subgroups: pain, stiffness, and difficulty performing daily activities. It is a questionnaire with a total of 24 questions. Each question has five alternative answers: none, mild, moderate, severe, and very severe. Scoring is given as follows: pain (maximum 20), stiffness (8), and difficulty performing daily activities (68). High scores indicate worsening symptoms, significant limitations, and insufficient overall health. The Turkish version of the scale was developed by Tüzün et al. in 2005.
Measured: baseline, 3th week, 12th week
The 6-minute walk test (6MWT)
The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) will be used to assess physical capacity. Patients will be asked to walk at their preferred pace for 6 minutes in a 30-meter corridor marked at 3-meter intervals. Rest periods or adjustments to walking speed will be allowed if necessary. The maximum distance covered in 6 minutes along the 30-meter corridor will be measured.
Measured: baseline, 3th week, 12th week
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted27 Feb 2026
- Study start1 Apr 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Jul 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Aug 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (2)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for OsteearthritisStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Kirsehir Ahi Evran UniversitesiThe 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
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Kirsehir Ahi Evran Universitesi
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Nazife Kapan, Kirsehir Ahi Evran Universitesi
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07438392
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- AhiEvranU-FTR-NK-Tecar
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 23 Feb 2026
- Last updated
- 2 Mar 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Publications
Coccetta CA, Sale P, Ferrara PE, Specchia A, Maccauro G, Ferriero G, Ronconi G. Effects of capacitive and resistive electric transfer therapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial. Int J Rehabil Res. 2019 Jun;42(2):106-111. doi: 10.1097/MRR.0000000000000324.
PubMed 30362981Elboim-Gabyzon M, Nahhas F. Laser therapy versus pulsed electromagnetic field therapy as treatment modalities for early knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Geriatr. 2023 Mar 16;23(1):144. doi: 10.1186/s12877-022-03568-5.
PubMed 36922781
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Mar 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of Tecar Therapy (Targeted Radiofrequency Therapy) on Pain, Physical Function, and Physical Capacity in Patients With Chronic Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07438392
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- AhiEvranU-FTR-NK-Tecar
- Conditions
- Osteearthritis
- Keywords
- osteoarthritis, Radiofrequency Therapy, Pain, Physical Functional Performance
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Kirsehir Ahi Evran UniversitesiUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Apr 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jul 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 27 Feb 2026 (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 study aimed to investigate the effects of Tecar therapy on pain, physical function, and physical capacity in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis.
Detailed description
Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative, inflammatory, and chronic joint disease with an increasing incidence and prevalence worldwide. By causing pain, disability, and deterioration in quality of life, it constitutes a significant public health problem globally. Furthermore, the health, social, and economic burdens associated with chronic knee osteoarthritis are expected to increase in the future. For these reasons, and due to the rising incidence of the disease, clinicians are increasingly focusing on novel treatment strategies.
Currently, both surgical and non-surgical treatment modalities are used in the management of chronic knee osteoarthritis. The cornerstone of treatment consists of patient education, exercise, and weight control. Subsequent steps include pharmacological treatments, intra-articular injections, and physical therapy modalities. These modalities include transcutaneous electrical stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound, thermal modalities, laser therapy, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, electromagnetic field therapy, and capacitive and resistive electric transfer (Tecar therapy).
Tecar therapy is an endogenous diathermy modality that operates in the long-wave range using radiofrequency energy of approximately 0.5 MHz to heat the treated tissues. It consists of two electrodes-capacitive and resistive-with a long-wave current generator and multi-frequency sequential emission systems that deliver energy to tissues in two different modes. In the capacitive mode, an insulated electrode with a metal plate is generally used. The electrical charges generated by the radiofrequency generator accumulate near the insulated electrode, which acts as a dielectric surface. This method is used for the treatment of superficial tissues adjacent to the insulated electrode. In the resistive mode, two metal electrodes distribute electrical charges that tend to accumulate near bone, tendon, and connective tissue.
Tecar therapy has been shown to have positive effects on pain and quality of life in many patients with degenerative and inflammatory orthopedic conditions. Among diathermy modalities, Tecar therapy is considered one of the most appropriate and safe methods, as-unlike ultrasound-it has no limitation in terms of treatment area and does not cause excessive heat accumulation between the skin and the electrode .
To the best of our knowledge, there are very few studies investigating the use of Tecar therapy in chronic knee osteoarthritis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Tecar therapy on pain, physical function, and physical capacity in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Tecar theraphy | Experimental | Other: Tecar Therapy, Other: conventional physical therapyConventional physical therapy and Tecar therapy: Conventional physiotherapy will include 15 sessions of TENS (100 Hz frequency, 10-30 mA intensity) and Hotpack therapy for all groups, 5 sessions per week over 3 weeks. A heating pad will be applied to the painful knee area for 20 minutes to provide superficial heat, followed by 20 minutes of TENS at 100 Hz using an HP or Chattanooga device. Simultaneously, all groups will receive knee isometric and Theraband exercise therapy under the supervision of a physiotherapist. This group will also receive TECAR therapy three times a week for three weeks, a total of nine sessions, at 0.5 MHz frequency, in a 5 min CAP + 10 min RES + 5 min CAP mode, administered by an experienced physiotherapist. |
| Sham tecar theraphy | Experimental | Other: ShamTecar Therapy, Other: conventional physical therapyConventional physical therapy and sham Tecar therapy: Conventional physiotherapy will include 15 sessions of TENS (100 Hz frequency, 10-30 mA intensity) and Hotpack therapy for all groups, 5 sessions per week over 3 weeks. A heating pad will be applied to the painful knee area for 20 minutes to provide superficial heat, followed by 20 minutes of TENS at 100 Hz using an HP or Chattanooga device. Simultaneously, all groups will receive knee isometric and Theraband exercise therapy under the supervision of a physiotherapist. This group will also receive TECAR sham therapy three times a week for three weeks, a total of nine sessions, at 0.5 MHz frequency, in a 5 min CAP + 10 min RES + 5 min CAP mode, administered by an experienced physiotherapist. The gel will be applied before the device is activated. |
| conventional physiotherapy | Experimental | Other: conventional physical therapyConventional FTR: Conventional physical therapy will include 15 sessions of TENS (100 Hz frequency, 10-30 mA intensity) and Hotpack therapy for all groups, 5 sessions per week over 3 weeks. A heating pad will be applied to the painful knee area for 20 minutes to provide superficial heat, followed by 20 minutes of TENS at 100 Hz using an HP or Chattanooga device. Simultaneously, all groups will receive knee isometric and Theraband exercise therapy under the supervision of a physiotherapist. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 40 to 75 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Patients with Kellgren-Lawrence stage 2 or 3 knee osteoarthritis
- Patients with bilateral knee pain for at least 6 weeks
- Male and female patients aged 40-75
- Patients who accept and sign the informed consent form
Key exclusion criteria (11 listed)
- Those who have received physical therapy for knee pain in the last 6 months
- Those who have received intraarticular injection treatments such as hyaluronic acid, PRP, or steroids for knee pain in the last 6 months
- Those who have undergone knee surgery for any reason
- Those with inflammatory arthritis
- Those with existing neurological, cognitive, or psychiatric disorders
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tecar TherapyTecar Therapy and conventional physical therapy | Other | Tecar theraphy |
| ShamTecar TherapyShamTecar Therapy and conventional physical therapy | Other | Sham tecar theraphy |
| conventional physical therapyconventional physical therapy | Other | Sham tecar theraphy, Tecar theraphy, conventional physiotherapy |
Primary outcome
Visual Analog Scale
Time frame: baseline, 3th week, 12th week
VAS is a pain rating scale with numbers 0 and 10. Here 0 means 'no pain' and 10 means 'unbearable pain'. The participant will rate the pain according to the scale. Patients' night, rest and activity pain will be evaluated separately.
2 secondary outcomes
WOMAC
Time frame: baseline, 3th week, 12th week
The 6-minute walk test (6MWT)
Time frame: baseline, 3th week, 12th week
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 2 Mar 2026.
- Background: PubMed 30362981Coccetta CA, Sale P, Ferrara PE, Specchia A, Maccauro G, Ferriero G, Ronconi G. Effects of capacitive and resistive electric transfer therapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial. Int J Rehabil Res. 2019 Jun;42(2):106-111. doi: 10.1097/MRR.0000000000000324.
- Background: PubMed 36922781Elboim-Gabyzon M, Nahhas F. Laser therapy versus pulsed electromagnetic field therapy as treatment modalities for early knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Geriatr. 2023 Mar 16;23(1):144. doi: 10.1186/s12877-022-03568-5.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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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.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Tecar Therapy and conventional physical therapy in people with Osteearthritis, run by Kirsehir Ahi Evran Universitesi at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
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 4 inclusion and 11 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 2 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
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 Nazife K Kapan Tunçer, Asst. Prof. (+90 5555839701, nazifekapan@gmail.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Visual Analog Scale (time frame: baseline, 3th week, 12th week). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07438392, which also lists 2 linked publications.
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 2 Mar 2026.