Electrical stimulation to boost quadriceps recovery after knee replacement
Official title: Implementation of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation after Total Knee Arthroplasty
Funded at University of Colorado Denver · NIH-11169853 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses small neuromuscular electrical stimulation during rehab to help people regain quadriceps strength after total knee replacement.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,038,023 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG084683-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11169853 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people who have just had total knee replacement and are receiving outpatient physical therapy at participating clinics.
✕Less likely to help
People without knee replacement, those with medical reasons that prevent electrical stimulation (for example, a pacemaker), or those not treated at participating rehab clinics may not receive benefit.
What this research studies
If you have a knee replacement, this project tries to add small, safe electrical pulses to your rehab exercises to keep your thigh muscle from getting weak. The team will roll this approach out in real outpatient physical therapy clinics across two health systems and compare patient strength, walking ability, and recovery to usual care. The plan is a cluster randomized trial—some clinics will offer NMES as part of normal rehab and others will continue usual therapy—so results reflect everyday clinical practice. The project also looks at whether therapists and patients actually use NMES and whether it helps reduce muscle loss after surgery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients may regain quadriceps strength faster and have better walking and daily function after knee replacement.
How similar studies have gone: Controlled trials in research settings show NMES can reduce early quadriceps strength loss by about 40% in the first month, but it has not been widely tested in routine clinical practice.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Colorado Denver
Aurora, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stevens-Lapsley, Jennifer E. — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Stevens-Lapsley, Jennifer E.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.