Knee Arthroplasty Recovery With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is widely performed to reduce pain from advanced osteoarthritis, yet many patients experience severe postoperative pain and up to 25-44% develop chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP). Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive neuromodulation technique, has shown promise in reducing pain and opioid use in early studies but has not been evaluated using comprehensive perioperative, home-based protocols. This study will test whether a home-based tDCS intervention delivered before and after TKA can improve acute pain management and reduce the development of CPSP.

NCT Number	NCT07351578
Lead Sponsor	Women's College Hospital Collaborators: AFP Innovation Fund, University Health Network, Toronto
Conditions	Knee Arthroplasty, Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, Pain, Postoperative
Enrollment	70 participants
Start Date	2026-05
Primary Completion	2027-05 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-12 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-01-20