Multimodal Pain Help After Knee Replacement
Official title: Multimodal Treatment for Chronic Pain after Total Knee Arthroplasty
Funded at Case Western Reserve University · NIH-11295096 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new approach aims to reduce persistent pain after knee replacement by using a minimally invasive nerve-stimulation therapy along with standard care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Case Western Reserve University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project start | September 21, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $3,519,366 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AR085665-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11295096 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who have persistent pain after total knee arthroplasty and meet study criteria for the intervention.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose pain is not driven by nerve or myofascial mechanisms or who do not meet suitability criteria may not experience benefit.
What this research studies
After knee replacement surgery, many people still struggle with chronic pain and limited function. This project tests a targeted, short-term nerve-stimulation treatment that activates specific leg nerves to relieve pain and improve movement when physical therapy alone isn’t enough. By focusing on central nervous system pain processing and muscle-related pain, the study seeks to offer an additional option for those with persistent post-surgical pain. The goal is to identify how well this method works, how long the benefits last, and which patients are most likely to benefit. Participation would involve a defined treatment course and follow-up assessments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could experience less pain and better function after knee replacement, enhancing daily activities and quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary work suggests motor peripheral nerve stimulation can help CPSP, but large-scale confirmation is needed.
Where this research is happening
-
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wilson, Richard Dwillis — Case Western Reserve University
- Study coordinator: Wilson, Richard Dwillis
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Lowering oxidative stress around knee replacement to reduce long-term pain
This trial gives an antioxidant medicine around the time of knee replacement to help reduce long-term pain for people having total knee arthroplasty.
-
Reducing oxidative stress to help prevent chronic pain after knee surgery
This study is looking at whether taking an antioxidant before and during knee surgery can help reduce pain after the operation, and it's for people who are having total knee replacement surgery.
-
Understanding how some patients develop chronic pain after knee replacement surgery.
This study is looking at what helps some people avoid long-lasting pain after knee surgery, so if you're having a total knee replacement, your experiences and feelings could help us find ways to keep others from developing chronic pain.
-
Understanding pain after knee surgery in older adults
This study is looking at why some older adults develop long-lasting pain after knee surgery and aims to find out what helps some people cope better than others, so we can improve recovery for everyone.
-
Motor cortex tricks to ease chronic pain
A study in rodents and people tests whether non-invasive brain stimulation of the motor cortex can reduce chronic pain and how best to target it.
-
Human pain center study to map normal and migraine-trigeminal neurons
A large NIH-funded project will map and study the human trigeminal neurons involved in migraines to understand what changes in these cells during headache conditions.
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.