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Effect of Surface EMG Biofeedback on Quadriceps Inhibition Release During Postoperative Knee Rehabilitation

NCT07736625 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 5

Last updated 2026-08-19

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Arthrogenic muscle inhibition (AMI) is a common neurological impairment following knee surgery that limits voluntary quadriceps activation and delays functional recovery. Persistent AMI may contribute to muscle weakness, altered gait, and poorer rehabilitation outcomes. Although several rehabilitation strategies have been proposed, no complementary intervention has consistently demonstrated strong evidence for improving AMI.

This prospective single-case experimental study aims to evaluate whether visual biofeedback based on surface electromyography (sEMG) improves quadriceps motor performance during standard rehabilitation. Each participant will complete eight standardized rehabilitation sessions, including four sessions with visual sEMG biofeedback and four sessions without visual feedback. The order of the two conditions will be randomized, allowing each participant to serve as his or her own control.

The primary objective is to determine whether visual sEMG biofeedback improves the accuracy of quadriceps contraction, assessed by the percentage deviation from a predefined target. Secondary objectives include evaluation of motor engagement, motor control, muscle activation, perceived exertion, and pain.

Between three and five adult patients presenting AMI after knee surgery will be included. Because recovery patterns are highly individualized, a Single-Case Experimental Design (SCED) with repeated within-subject measurements has been selected to characterize individual treatment responses while minimizing inter-individual variability

Conditions

  • Arthrogenic Muscle Inhibition
  • Knee Injuries
  • Postoperative Rehabilitation

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Visual Surface EMG Biofeedback

Participants perform standardized rehabilitation exercises while receiving real-time visual feedback of quadriceps muscle activity using surface electromyography (sEMG)

BEHAVIORAL

Standard Rehabilitation Without Visual Biofeedback

Participants perform the same standardized rehabilitation exercises without visual biofeedback. Surface electromyography signals are recorded but are not displayed to the participant.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Hopitaux de Saint-Maurice

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Sylvain SB BELOT, MD · Hôpitaux Paris Est Val-de-Marne (HPEVM)

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-08-01
Primary Completion
2026-09-30
Completion
2026-12-31

Countries

  • France

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07736625 on ClinicalTrials.gov