Femoro Acetabular ImpingementNCT07548034
Ultrasound-guided Needle Percutaneous Electrolysis With Therapeutic Exercise in Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome
A study testing Ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle electrolysis and Therapeutic exercise program in people with Femoro Acetabular Impingement and Hip Pain, run by CEU San Pablo University at 1 site in Spain.
Trial summary
Hip pain in the front of the hip is common and can make daily activities and sports difficult. One frequent cause is femoroacetabular impingement, also known as hip impingement. This clinical trial is studying whether adding ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrolysis - a minimally invasive physiotherapy technique… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 55 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Femoro Acetabular Impingement, Hip Pain, Iliopsoas Syndrome
- What is being tested?
- Ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle electrolysis and Therapeutic exercise program
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSpain
- Study dates
- 8 May 2026to 16 Oct 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
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 18 to 55 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Anterior hip pain (inguinal region) lasting more than 3 months
- Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain score ≥ 4/10 during at least one provocative test
- Positive result in at least one of the following clinical tests: Straight Leg Raise (SLR), Flexion-Adduction-Internal Rotation (FADIR), or Hip-External Rotation-Flexion-Ceiling (HEC)
- Ultrasound findings compatible with pseudofibrotic tissue near the iliopsoas tendon at the anterosuperior acetabular recess
- Age between 18 and 55 years
- Able to provide written informed consent
Who cannot join
- Previous hip surgery
- Moderate or severe hip osteoarthritis (diagnosed radiographically)
- Neurological pathology affecting the lower limb
- Dominant lumbar spine pathology
- Active rheumatic or systemic inflammatory diseases
- Any contraindication to percutaneous electrolysis
- Belonephobia
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Effectiveness of Ultrasound-guided Percutaneous Needle Electrolysis Combined With Therapeutic Exercise in Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: a Randomized Pilot Clinical Trial.
Hip pain in the front of the hip is common and can make daily activities and sports difficult. One frequent cause is femoroacetabular impingement, also known as hip impingement.
This clinical trial is studying whether adding ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrolysis - a minimally invasive physiotherapy technique that uses a fine needle and a small electrical current - to a program of specific exercises works better than doing the exercises alone.
Read more
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:
- One group will receive two sessions of percutaneous electrolysis plus a home exercise program.
- The other group will follow the same home exercise program without percutaneous electrolysis.
The study will last five weeks. Researchers will measure pain, hip movement, and hip function at the beginning, after one week, and after four weeks. They will also record any side effects.
The main goal is to find out if adding percutaneous electrolysis helps reduce hip pain and improve function more than exercise alone. This pilot study will help determine if this technique could be a safe and effective non-surgical treatment option for people with pain in the front of the hip.
Read the detailed description
Femoroacetabular impingement is a common cause of anterior hip pain in young and middle-aged adults. This condition involves abnormal mechanical contact between the proximal femur and the acetabular rim, which can lead to labral damage, cartilage injury, and pain. Soft tissue structures, particularly the iliopsoas tendon and its relationship with the anterior capsulolabral complex, frequently contribute to the symptoms.
Ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrolysis is a minimally invasive technique used in physiotherapy. It involves the application of a controlled galvanic current through a fine needle inserted under ultrasound guidance into targeted soft tissues, with the aim of reducing pain and promoting tissue repair.
This randomized pilot clinical trial will compare the effectiveness and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrolysis combined with a therapeutic exercise program versus the same therapeutic exercise program alone in participants with anterior hip pain compatible with femoroacetabular impingement.
Eligible participants will be randomly allocated to one of two parallel groups.
Both groups will follow a standardized home-based exercise program focused on hip mobility, gluteal strengthening, core stability, and controlled hip flexor activation. The experimental group will additionally receive two sessions of ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrolysis, performed one week apart.
Primary and secondary outcomes will include pain intensity during provocative tests, hip range of motion to the first onset of pain, and self-reported hip function. All outcome assessments will be conducted by a blinded evaluator at baseline, one week, and four weeks after the first intervention session. Adverse events will be systematically recorded.
The results of this pilot study will provide preliminary evidence regarding the potential additive benefit of percutaneous electrolysis to exercise therapy and will inform the design and sample size calculation of future larger-scale randomized controlled trials
- Being tested
- Ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle electrolysis, Therapeutic exercise program
- Keywords
- Percutaneous needle electrolysis, Therapeutic exercise, Anterior hip pain, Iliopsoas, Hip function, Range of motion, Pain intensity, Ultrasound-guided therapy, Conservative treatment, Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Needle Electrolysis
- Medical subject headings
- Femoracetabular Impingement, Pain
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle electrolysisOther
Ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle electrolysis will be applied to the iliopsoas region targeting hyperechoic fibrotic tissue near the anterior hip joint. The procedure will be performed using a sterile needle under real-time ultrasound guidance with a long-axis in-plane approach from lateral to medial. Electrical current will be delivered with parameters of 2.5 mA for 3 seconds, with a total of 3 applications per session. Two sessions will be performed, one at baseline and one after 7 days. The intervention will be carried out by a physiotherapist with specific training in invasive techniques.
Therapeutic exercise programBehavioural
Participants will perform a home-based therapeutic exercise program focused on lumbopelvic stability, hip strength, and controlled mobility. Exercises include glute bridge, bird dog, isometric hip flexion, and controlled hip flexion mobility. The program consists of 3 sets of 10 repetitions per exercise, performed 3 times per week over a 5-week period. Exercises will be performed within pain-free ranges and adjusted according to individual tolerance. Initial instruction will be provided by a physiotherapist, with follow-up supervision at one week and four weeks.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Percutenous electrolysis + therapeutic exercise | Experimental | Participants receive ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrolysis combined with a therapeutic exercise program Receives: Other: Ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle electrolysis; Behavioral: Therapeutic exercise program |
| Therapeutic exercise | Active comparator | Participants receive a therapeutic exercise program without additional invasive intervention Receives: Behavioral: Therapeutic exercise program |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Mean Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain score during provocative hip tests
Average pain intensity measured with the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS 0-10, where 0 = no pain and 10 = worst pain imaginable) during three standardized provocative tests: Straight Leg Raise (SLR), Flexion-Adduction-Internal Rotation (FADIR), and Hip-External Rotation-Flexion-Ceiling (HEC). The mean of the three scores is calculated to obtain a global measure of provoked anterior hip pain.
Measured: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)
Secondary outcomes (8)
Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain during SLR test
Pain intensity measured with the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS 0-10) during the Straight Leg Raise (SLR) test.
Measured: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)
Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain during FADIR test
Pain intensity measured with the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS 0-10) during the Flexion-Adduction-Internal Rotation (FADIR) test.
Measured: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)
Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain during HEC test
Pain intensity measured with the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS 0-10) during the Hip-External Rotation-Flexion-Ceiling (HEC) test.
Measured: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)
Hip flexion range of motion to first onset of pain (P1)
Passive hip flexion range of motion measured with a clinical goniometer until the first onset of pain (P1).
Measured: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)
Hip external rotation range of motion to first onset of pain (P1)
Passive hip external rotation range of motion measured with a clinical goniometer until the first onset of pain (P1).
Measured: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)
Hip internal rotation range of motion to first onset of pain (P1)
Passive hip internal rotation range of motion measured with a clinical goniometer until the first onset of pain (P1).
Measured: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)
Hip function and quality of life (Hip Outcome Tool-12, iHOT-12Sv)
Self-reported hip function and quality of life were assessed using the validated Spanish version of the International Hip Outcome Tool-12 (iHOT-12Sv). The iHOT-12 is a patient-reported outcome measure consisting of 12 items, each scored on a visual analog scale ranging from 1 to 100, where higher scores indicate better hip function and fewer symptoms. The overall score is calculated as the mean of the 12 items, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 100.
Measured: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)
Adverse events
Incidence and type of adverse events.
Measured: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted23 Apr 2026
- Study start8 May 2026
- Primary completion16 Oct 2026
- Study completion16 Oct 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Femoro Acetabular ImpingementStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- CEU San Pablo University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Guillermo Gallardo Lopez, Principal investigator, CEU SP University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07548034
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- CdEi95
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 17 Apr 2026
- Last updated
- 22 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effectiveness of Ultrasound-guided Percutaneous Needle Electrolysis Combined With Therapeutic Exercise in Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: a Randomized Pilot Clinical Trial.
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07548034
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- CdEi95
- Keywords
- Percutaneous needle electrolysis, Therapeutic exercise, Anterior hip pain, Iliopsoas, Hip function, Range of motion, Pain intensity, Ultrasound-guided therapy
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- CEU San Pablo UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 8 May 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 16 Oct 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 16 Oct 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 23 Apr 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.
Hip pain in the front of the hip is common and can make daily activities and sports difficult. One frequent cause is femoroacetabular impingement, also known as hip impingement.
This clinical trial is studying whether adding ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrolysis - a minimally invasive physiotherapy technique that uses a fine needle and a small electrical current - to a program of specific exercises works better than doing the exercises alone.
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:
- One group will receive two sessions of percutaneous electrolysis plus a home exercise program.
- The other group will follow the same home exercise program without percutaneous electrolysis.
The study will last five weeks. Researchers will measure pain, hip movement, and hip function at the beginning, after one week, and after four weeks. They will also record any side effects.
The main goal is to find out if adding percutaneous electrolysis helps reduce hip pain and improve function more than exercise alone. This pilot study will help determine if this technique could be a safe and effective non-surgical treatment option for people with pain in the front of the hip.
Detailed description
Femoroacetabular impingement is a common cause of anterior hip pain in young and middle-aged adults. This condition involves abnormal mechanical contact between the proximal femur and the acetabular rim, which can lead to labral damage, cartilage injury, and pain. Soft tissue structures, particularly the iliopsoas tendon and its relationship with the anterior capsulolabral complex, frequently contribute to the symptoms.
Ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrolysis is a minimally invasive technique used in physiotherapy. It involves the application of a controlled galvanic current through a fine needle inserted under ultrasound guidance into targeted soft tissues, with the aim of reducing pain and promoting tissue repair.
This randomized pilot clinical trial will compare the effectiveness and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrolysis combined with a therapeutic exercise program versus the same therapeutic exercise program alone in participants with anterior hip pain compatible with femoroacetabular impingement.
Eligible participants will be randomly allocated to one of two parallel groups.
Both groups will follow a standardized home-based exercise program focused on hip mobility, gluteal strengthening, core stability, and controlled hip flexor activation. The experimental group will additionally receive two sessions of ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrolysis, performed one week apart.
Primary and secondary outcomes will include pain intensity during provocative tests, hip range of motion to the first onset of pain, and self-reported hip function. All outcome assessments will be conducted by a blinded evaluator at baseline, one week, and four weeks after the first intervention session. Adverse events will be systematically recorded.
The results of this pilot study will provide preliminary evidence regarding the potential additive benefit of percutaneous electrolysis to exercise therapy and will inform the design and sample size calculation of future larger-scale randomized controlled trials
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Percutenous electrolysis + therapeutic exercise | Experimental | Other: Ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle electrolysis, Behavioral: Therapeutic exercise programParticipants receive ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrolysis combined with a therapeutic exercise program |
| Therapeutic exercise | Active comparator | Behavioral: Therapeutic exercise programParticipants receive a therapeutic exercise program without additional invasive intervention |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 55 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Anterior hip pain (inguinal region) lasting more than 3 months
- Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain score ≥ 4/10 during at least one provocative test
- Positive result in at least one of the following clinical tests: Straight Leg Raise (SLR), Flexion-Adduction-Internal Rotation (FADIR), or Hip-External Rotation-Flexion-Ceiling (HEC)
- Ultrasound findings compatible with pseudofibrotic tissue near the iliopsoas tendon at the anterosuperior acetabular recess
- Age between 18 and 55 years
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Previous hip surgery
- Moderate or severe hip osteoarthritis (diagnosed radiographically)
- Neurological pathology affecting the lower limb
- Dominant lumbar spine pathology
- Active rheumatic or systemic inflammatory diseases
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle electrolysisUltrasound-guided percutaneous needle electrolysis will be applied to the iliopsoas region targeting hyperechoic fibrotic tissue near the anterior hip joint. The procedure will be performed using a sterile needle under real-time ultrasound guidance with a long-axis in-plane approach from lateral to medial. Electrical current will be delivered with parameters of 2.5 mA for 3 seconds, with a total of 3 applications per session. Two sessions will be performed, one at baseline and one after 7 days. The intervention will be carried out by a physiotherapist with specific training in invasive techniques. | Other | Percutenous electrolysis + therapeutic exercise |
| Therapeutic exercise programParticipants will perform a home-based therapeutic exercise program focused on lumbopelvic stability, hip strength, and controlled mobility. Exercises include glute bridge, bird dog, isometric hip flexion, and controlled hip flexion mobility. The program consists of 3 sets of 10 repetitions per exercise, performed 3 times per week over a 5-week period. Exercises will be performed within pain-free ranges and adjusted according to individual tolerance. Initial instruction will be provided by a physiotherapist, with follow-up supervision at one week and four weeks. | Behavioural | Percutenous electrolysis + therapeutic exercise, Therapeutic exercise |
Primary outcome
Mean Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain score during provocative hip tests
Time frame: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)
Average pain intensity measured with the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS 0-10, where 0 = no pain and 10 = worst pain imaginable) during three standardized provocative tests: Straight Leg Raise (SLR), Flexion-Adduction-Internal Rotation (FADIR), and Hip-External Rotation-Flexion-Ceiling (HEC). The mean of the three scores is calculated to obtain a global measure of provoked anterior hip pain.
8 secondary outcomes
Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain during SLR test
Time frame: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)
Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain during FADIR test
Time frame: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)
Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain during HEC test
Time frame: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)
Hip flexion range of motion to first onset of pain (P1)
Time frame: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)
Hip external rotation range of motion to first onset of pain (P1)
Time frame: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)
Hip internal rotation range of motion to first onset of pain (P1)
Time frame: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)
Hip function and quality of life (Hip Outcome Tool-12, iHOT-12Sv)
Time frame: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)
Adverse events
Time frame: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Oct 2026.
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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. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Guillermo Gallardo Lopez principal investigator
CEU SP University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle electrolysis and Therapeutic exercise program in people with Femoro Acetabular Impingement and Hip Pain, run by CEU San Pablo University at 1 site in Spain.
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 6 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Oct 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 Spain. 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?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Mean Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain score during provocative hip tests (time frame: Baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 4 weeks after T1 (T2)). 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 22 Oct 2026.