Pain Perception During Intra-Articular Knee Joint Injection: What is the Effect of Needle Gauge and the Use of Ethyl Chloride?

Starting soon · Phase 4 · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Osteoarthritis (OA) of the Knee, Fear of Needles

In brief

This study aims to investigate factors that affect the subjective experience of pain during and after intra-articular knee joint injection of steroids by comparing needle gauge size (22 G vs 25 G needles), as well as the presence or absence of topical ethyl chloride spray. Additionally, this study will investigate the effects of other various factors on patients' pain associated with the injection. Lastly, this study aims to determine the effect of patients' subjective pain from the injection on long-term clinical outcomes. Specific aims are as follows: Aim 1): Determine the effect of needle gauge size on patient reported pain associated with an ultrasound-guided intra-articular knee injection. Aim 2): Determine the effect of ethyl chloride spray on patient reported pain associated with an ultrasound-guided intra-articular knee injection. Aim 3): Determine the effect of sex, age, BMI, thigh size, severity of OA, and fear of needles on patient pain associated with an ultrasound-guided intra-articular knee injection. Aim 4) Determine the effect of patient pain from the procedure on longer term clinical outcomes after an ultrasound-guided intra-articular knee steroid injection. Researchers will obtain data at various time points, including pre-procedural data, immediately after the procedure, 24-48 hours after, and 6 weeks post-procedure. Participants will: Consent to receiving an intra-articular knee joint injection with steroids if indicated. Score their "procedural" pain immediately following the procedure, score their post-procedural "soreness" 24-48 hours after via telephone call, and score their overall knee pain about 6 weeks after the procedure via telephone call.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT06865170

Run by

University of California, Davis

People needed

88

Starts

2026-08-01

Expected to finish

2026-12-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-06-29

Who can join

Age: 40 and older, up to 89. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• age ≥ 40 years
• fulfillment of the American College of Rheumatology criteria for knee OA
• confirmation of knee-related pain and/or functional loss by clinical examination.
• Patients with either
• bilateral knee OA/injections, or
• unilateral knee OA/injections.
• Agreed to an intra-articular knee joint injection with steroids
• Naive to use of ethyl chloride

You may not qualify if…

• Arthroscopy of the index knee(s) within the prior 6 months
• Steroid injection of the knee(s) within the prior 3 months
• Hyaluronic acid or platelet-rich plasma injection of the knee within the prior 6 months
• Patient reported prior injection of any type with ethyl chloride spray
• Knee effusion requiring aspiration at the time of the procedure
• Cognitively impaired individuals

Where it is running

• UC Davis Sports Medicine Clinic — Sacramento, California, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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