Trial reportBMC musculoskeletal disorders2025
Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation as a pain modulator in knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled clinical trial.
Trial report in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05387135 (Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation As a Pain Modulator in Knee Osteoarthritis), which is not on this map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation As a Pain Modulator in Knee Osteoarthritis
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Noninvasive electrical stimulation on pain and function in knee osteoarthritis in middle-aged and older adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Current status and research gaps of neuromodulation in the rehabilitation of knee osteoarthritis: a scoping review.Frontiers in neurologyPooled it
- Transcutaneous Auricular Neurostimulation Modulates Pain Perception in Survivors of Stroke With Chronic Upper-Extremity Pain: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Pilot Study.Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society · 2026Trial
- Vagus nerve stimulation in rheumatic diseases: linking autonomic nervous system regulation, inflammation, and clinical outcomes.Rheumatology international · 2026Review
- Review
- Research Progress of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Chronic Pain Management: A Narrative Review.Journal of pain research · 2026Review
- Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation: mechanisms, applications, and research progress.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2026Review
- Integration of External Vagus Nerve Stimulation in the Physiotherapeutic Management of Chronic Cervicogenic Headache: A Case Report.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Characteristic of cerebral hemodynamics and functional connectivity in patients with neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury: an exploratory study.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2025Article
- The Impact of Autonomic Nervous System Modulation on Heart Rate Variability and Musculoskeletal Manifestations in Chronic Neck Pain: A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOur understanding of osteoarthritis (OA) has evolved from a degenerative disease to one in which low-grade, chronic inflammation plays a central role. In addition, evidence suggests that OA is accompanied by both peripheral and central nervous system sensitization that can cause pain. It has been demonstrated that transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) can relieve pain, inflammation, and central sensitization in other conditions including fibromyalgia, pelvic pain, and headaches. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of tVNS on nociceptive pain, central sensitization, and physical function in knee OA.
methodsIn this 12-week study, we stimulated the auricular branch of the vagus nerve with an auricular electrode connected to a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation device once a day for 3 days each week for 12 weeks. A total of 68 patients with chronic knee OA were randomly assigned to the active and sham groups (34 patients in each group). We used a variety of outcome measures, including the visual analog scale (VAS), pressure pain threshold (PPT), knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS), PainDETECT (PD-Q) and Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4) questionnaires. Outcome measures were recorded at baseline, At the end of the stimulation period, and then after 4 weeks.
resultsIn the active group, compared to baseline, there was a significant improvement in VAS scores between the first and second follow-up visits (P < 0.001). A significant improvement in PPT was seen in the right knee, left knee, and right elbow in active tVNS, and this improvement persisted for four weeks post-intervention. Meanwhile, in the sham group, right knee PPT was improved but not maintained. There were statistically significant improvements in the PD-Q and DN4 scores in the active tVNS group (P < 0.001), whereas in the sham group, DN4 questionnaire did not show any improvement. In terms of functional outcomes, the improvement in KOOS was significant only in the active group (31.44 ± 18.49, P < 0.001). No serious adverse events were observed.
conclusionThere is preliminary evidence to support the benefits of tVNS in OA, suggesting that neuromodulation can be used as an adjunct to existing pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments.
trial registrationThe study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05387135) on 24/05/2022.
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