ArticleTherapeutic advances in musculoskeletal disease2025
Effectiveness of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with quadriceps strength training in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial.
Article in Therapeutic advances in musculoskeletal disease, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Targeting Central Sensitization for Pain Management in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Narrative Review of Mechanisms and Clinical Applications of Neuromodulation.Journal of pain research · 2026Review
- Altered activation patterns of sensorimotor cortex during level walking and stair climbing in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2026Article
- Efficacy and Central Mechanism of Shexiang Zhuifeng Analgesic Plaster Combined with Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of pain research · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is associated with decreased quadriceps strength and decreased activation of central motor cortex. It is necessary to investigate intervention strategies that combine central and peripheral treatments. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in conjunction with quadriceps strength training for 12 weeks in the treatment of KOA. Design: Prospective, randomized, single-blind, comparative effectiveness study. Methods: In this 12-week randomized controlled clinical trial, 48 eligible patients were randomly allocated to either an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group underwent high-frequency rTMS in conjunction with quadriceps strength training, whereas the control group received sham rTMS alongside quadriceps strength training. The primary outcome measure was the visual analog scale (VAS), while secondary outcome measures included the University of Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), the peak torque of the extensor muscles, the peak torque of the flexor muscles, and the flexion-extension ratio. A two-way repeated measures analysis of variance with group as a group factor and time factor was used to calculate the effects of the interventions on all outcome measures. Results: Forty-four of the 48 patients who were allocated at random finished the study. Twelve weeks later, the VAS index in the experimental group decreased from 3.14 ± 1.13 to 1.36 ± 0.85, and that in the control group decreased from 3.23 ± 1.15 to 2.18 ± 1.40 ( Conclusion: High-frequency rTMS combined with quadriceps strength training for 12 weeks can effectively improve pain, muscle strength and joint function in patients with KOA. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (https://www.chictr.org.cn/) ChiCTR2300067617.
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