NIH-funded research R01 grant

Reducing oxidative stress to help prevent chronic pain after knee surgery

Official title: Reducing Perioperative Oxidative Stress to Prevent Postoperative Chronic Pain Following Total Knee Arthroplasty

Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-10933522 · Data updated 2026-11-12

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.

More Chronic Pain research and trials

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionVanderbilt University Medical Center
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Nashville, United States)
Project startSeptember 30, 2023
Project endAugust 31, 2028
Funding year2024
Award (this year)$949,178
NIH project number5R01AG085287-02
Project IDNIH-10933522 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Ideal candidates for this research are older adults scheduled for total knee arthroplasty due to osteoarthritis.

Less likely to help

Patients who are not undergoing total knee arthroplasty or those with conditions unrelated to oxidative stress may not benefit from this research.

What this research studies

This research investigates whether lowering oxidative stress before and during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can lead to better long-term pain outcomes for patients. The study will involve a randomized trial where participants receive either an antioxidant treatment or a placebo prior to and during their surgery. Researchers will measure levels of oxidative stress and pain intensity at various points after the surgery to determine if the treatment makes a difference in recovery. The goal is to provide insights that could improve pain management strategies for TKA patients.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved pain relief and recovery for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty.

How similar studies have gone: Previous research has indicated that oxidative stress may contribute to chronic pain, suggesting that this approach could be promising, although it is being tested in this specific context for the first time.

Where this research is happening

  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center
    Nashville, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Bruehl, Stephen — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
  • Study coordinator: Bruehl, Stephen

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.

    NIH research Vanderbilt University Medical Center · Nashville, United States · NIH-11171771

  • Multimodal Pain Help After Knee Replacement

    A new approach aims to reduce persistent pain after knee replacement by using a minimally invasive nerve-stimulation therapy along with standard care.

    NIH research Case Western Reserve University · Cleveland, United States · NIH-11295096

  • 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.

    NIH research Rush University Medical Center · Chicago, United States · NIH-10593786

  • 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.

    NIH research Rush University Medical Center · Chicago, United States · NIH-10231116

  • 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.

    NIH research Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ · New York, United States · NIH-11621209

  • 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.

    NIH research University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia, United States · NIH-11615140

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.