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This study will evaluate the ability of trigger point injections completed immediately following a total knee arthroplasty decrease pain scores and opioid use compared to sham injections. Given the current state of opioid dependency in the United States there needs to be a more focused attempt at treating post-operative pain without use of opioids. Given the manipulation of soft tissue during a total knee arthroplasty there seems to be a high correlation with pain and myofascial pain syndrome. This study will include an experimental (trigger point injection) and control (sham injection) group who are all undergoing a total knee arthroplasty. This is a pilot study that will include a maximum of 100 total patients (although it is planned for the study to be much smaller with a planned 10-15 patients per group). The procedure that will be completed is a trigger point injection with use of 1% lidocaine without epinephrine along the distal aspect of the vastus medialis and lateralis, proximal aspect of the medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscle bellies. The sham injection will be completed by pressing the needle against the skin without injecting any fluid. There will be a "blind" between the patient and the needle with both arms of the study. These patients will be followed up on POD1, and during weeks 2 and 6 follow-up where they will be given questionnaires to assess pain (visual analogue scale) and opioid use, and asked to bring their opioid medications to the clinic to assess the morphine milligrams equivalent (MME).
Locally preserved from ClinicalTrials.govOpen ClinicalTrials.govlast source update 2026-02-12
What this record can show
Results are reported by the registry submitter and preserved exactly. They are not independent verification or a treatment recommendation.
Registry facts
Linked local records
Local links use governed condition terms or exact source-reported intervention names. They are navigation candidates, not efficacy claims.
Interventions
A trigger point injection utilizing lidocaine 1% without epinephrine will be injected into several muscles bellies immediately following surgery to halt a trigger point from forming. One group will receive this type of intervention and the sham group will not receive any type of injection.
This arm of the study will not receive any injection.
Source-reported results
Results are reported by the registry submitter and preserved exactly. They are not independent verification or a treatment recommendation.
1\. Change in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores The VAS is a numbered scale assessing pain severity using a number which describes the average level of pain since being discharged. Participants are to put a hash mark "/" on a numbered scale ranging from 0-100. Zero (0) is no pain and 100 is severe intolerable pain
Population: Limited timeline for follow-up restricted total number of participants for the last follow-up interval (6 week)
| Group | N | Value | Spread / interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experimental Group - Participants Receiving Trigger Point Injections | 6 | 51 | 29.51 |
| Sham Comparator - Participants Not Receiving Trigger Point Injections | 5 | 55 | 22.64 |
| Experimental Group - Participants Receiving Trigger Point Injections | 6 | 40 | 14.49 |
| Sham Comparator - Participants Not Receiving Trigger Point Injections | 5 | 42 | 24.9 |
| Experimental Group - Participants Receiving Trigger Point Injections | 6 | 30 | 32.79 |
| Sham Comparator - Participants Not Receiving Trigger Point Injections | 5 | 28.33 | 18.93 |
1\. Compare the total opioid use between study groups (experimental, sham comparator). Opioid use will be measured during their inpatient stay using the Medication Administration Record (MAR) Summary in the electronic medical record; and completing an Opioid Use questionnaire and counting the number of pills remaining during post-operative/follow-up study visits. Inpatient opioid use will be calculated by using the morphine dosage and number of doses per day. Outpatient opioid use will be obtained by reviewing responses to the Opioid Use questionnaire and counting the number of pills remaining from the prescription given at the time of discharge. Participants will be asked to bring their medication (opioids) to their post-operative/follow-up study visits. This method will allow the investigator to measure total opioid use (injectable and pill) during their inpatient and outpatient course.
Population: Due to time constraints our study was only able to evaluate 3 participants in each arm of the study on the 6 week post-operative appointment.
| Group | N | Value | Spread / interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experimental Group - Participants Receiving Trigger Point Injections | 6 | 50.08 | 36.89 |
| Sham Comparator - Participants Not Receiving Trigger Point Injections | 5 | 68.60 | 33.8 |
| Experimental Group - Participants Receiving Trigger Point Injections | 6 | 23.09 | 12.21 |
| Sham Comparator - Participants Not Receiving Trigger Point Injections | 5 | 19.09 | 16.69 |
| Experimental Group - Participants Receiving Trigger Point Injections | 6 | 1.33 | 2.1 |
| Sham Comparator - Participants Not Receiving Trigger Point Injections | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Milestone | Experimental Group - Participants Receiving Trigger Point Injections | Sham Comparator - Participants Not Receiving Trigger Point Injections |
|---|---|---|
| STARTED | 6 | 5 |
| Post Operative Day (POD) 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Week 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Week 6 | 3 | 3 |
| COMPLETED | 3 | 3 |
| NOT COMPLETED | 3 | 2 |
Eligibility
primary outcomes
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks
1\. Change in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores The VAS is a numbered scale assessing pain severity using a number which describes the average level of pain since being discharged. Participants are to put a hash mark "/" on a numbered scale ranging from 0-100. Zero (0) is no pain and 100 is severe intolerable pain
secondary outcomes
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks
1\. Compare the total opioid use between study groups (experimental, sham comparator). Opioid use will be measured during their inpatient stay using the Medication Administration Record (MAR) Summary in the electronic medical record; and completing an Opioid Use questionnaire and counting the number of pills remaining during post-operative/follow-up study visits. Inpatient opioid use will be calculated by using the morphine dosage and number of doses per day. Outpatient opioid use will be obtained by reviewing responses to the Opioid Use questionnaire and counting the number of pills remaining from the prescription given at the time of discharge. Participants will be asked to bring their medication (opioids) to their post-operative/follow-up study visits. This method will allow the investigator to measure total opioid use (injectable and pill) during their inpatient and outpatient course.
Publications
No exact PMID-linked public article is currently readable locally.