Types of persistent pain after hip or knee replacement

Characteristics of Persistent Pain Composition Following Total Hip or Knee Arthroplasty: a Descriptive Study

Observational Rigshospitalet, Denmark · NCT07110324

We will re-contact people who still have moderate-to-severe pain after hip or knee replacement to see whether their pain shows signs of nociceptive, neuropathic, or nociplastic mechanisms.

Quick facts

Study typeObservational
Enrollment100 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorRigshospitalet, Denmark Academic / other
Locations1 site (Østerbro, København Ø)
Trial IDNCT07110324 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

Approximately 100 consenting patients with persistent postoperative pain (NRS >3) identified from a pool of about 7,000 respondents will be re-invited to complete standardized pain questionnaires. Neuropathic pain will be measured with the DN4, nociplastic pain with IASP criteria plus the Fibromyalgia Survey Questionnaire, and nociceptive pain using the KOOS/HOOS pain domains. Primary outcomes are the prevalence of potential nociplastic pain and the proportion of patients experiencing significant pain in two or more mechanistic categories, with secondary analyses comparing baseline versus follow-up DN4, FSQ, and KOOS/HOOS distributions and differences by neuropathic pain status. The results are intended to inform more targeted pre- and postoperative pain management strategies for arthroplasty patients.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are people who had total or unicompartmental hip or knee replacement, continue to have moderate-to-severe pain (NRS >3), consent to be contacted, and have not had re-operation or major postoperative complications.

Not a fit: Patients who have had re-operation or major postoperative complications (infection, thromboembolism, prosthesis fracture or dislocation) or who do not want to be contacted are excluded and unlikely to benefit from this study's findings.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the results could help clinicians tailor pain treatments by identifying patients with neuropathic or nociplastic pain who may benefit from different therapies than standard post-arthroplasty care.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has reported neuropathic and nociplastic features after arthroplasty, but re-characterizing a cohort with this specific combination of DN4, IASP/FSQ, and KOOS/HOOS measures is relatively novel.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* All patients with persistent moderate-severe pain (NRS\>3) after THA, TKA and UKA
* Acceptance to be contacted.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Re-operation
* Luxation
* Do not want to be contacted
* Post-operative complications such as prosthesis infection, thromboembolism or fracture of the prosthesis.

Where this trial is running

Østerbro, København Ø

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions PainHip Arthroplasty ReplacementKnee Arthroplasty, TotalSurvey and Questionnairehip arthroplastyknee arthroplasty
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 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.