NCT06627296

The Effect of Combined Exercise and NMES on Strength, Proprioception and Reaction Time in Scapholunate Instability

Completed NA Last updated 12 August 2025

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Exercise Training in Scapholunate Interosseous Ligament Injury in 44 participants. Completed in 9 August 2025.

Timeline

8 September 2024

Primary endpoint
20 December 2024

9 August 2025

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Hacettepe University
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	single
Primary purpose	treatment
Enrollment	44
Start date	8 September 2024
Primary completion	20 December 2024
Estimated completion	9 August 2025
Sites	2 locations across Turkey (Türkiye)

Drugs / interventions tested

• Exercise Training
• Exercise Training (Control Group)
• Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation

Conditions studied

• Scapholunate Interosseous Ligament Injury — all drugs for Scapholunate Interosseous Ligament Injury →
• Scapholunate Dissociation — all drugs for Scapholunate Dissociation →
• Scaphoid-Lunate Instability — all drugs for Scaphoid-Lunate Instability →

Sponsor

Hacettepe University

Who can join

Adults 18 to 45, any sex, with Scapholunate Interosseous Ligament Injury or Scapholunate Dissociation. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

In our study, which we conducted to investigate the effect of exercise training combined with neuromuscular electrical stimulation on muscle strength, proprioceptive sensation, reaction time and functionality in patients with scapholunate (SL) instability, individuals with SL instability who meet the inclusion criteria and volunteer to participate in the study will participate. After the approval of the ethics committee, it is planned to include as many individuals with SL instability as the number to be obtained following the power analysis to be performed as a result of the pilot study. The pain of the subjects will be evaluated with the VAS pain scale during rest-activity-exercise. All participants will be evaluated with the isokinetic cybex device for isokinetic muscle strength of the wrist, grip strength with the JAMAR hand held dynometer, NEH evaluation: goniometer, proprioceptive sensation with ACUMAR and isokinetic device, reaction time with blazepod trainer, wrist pain transfer with a digital scale, assessment of upper extremity functional status: pwre (patient rated wrist evaluation), modified mayo wrist score, DASH, EL20 questionnaire, SF-12 questionnaires.

In this randomized controlled study, the first group will receive NMES and exercise training 3 days a week for a total of 8 weeks and the other group will receive only exercise training. The evaluations will be done at the beginning and twice in total after the 8-week rehabilitation program. The exercises given to the patients in both groups will be similar for 8 weeks and they will receive a total of 24 sessions of exercise programs with 15 repetitions per day, 3 days a week, accompanied by a physiotherapist. Both groups will also be given home exercises to continue at home. NMES and exercise trainings will be applied in such a way that activation of SL-friendly extensor carpi radialis longus (ECRL), extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB), flexor carpi radialis (FCR), and abductor pollicis longus (APL) muscles will be followed by inhibition of non-friendly extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU).

After the completion of the thesis, it is planned to add to the literature by examining the effects of exercise training combined with NMES on muscle strength, proprioceptive sensation, reaction time and functionality in individuals diagnosed with SL instability and the superiorities, if any, between the methods.

Publications & conference data

1 peer-reviewed publication reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. The effectiveness of NMES-integrated therapy in scapholunate ligament injuries - a randomized controlled trial.
   Dağ A, Ayık Ö, Fırat T, Şahinkaya T, et al · · 2025 · PMID 41331647 · DOI 10.1186/s13102-025-01452-4