Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40539733›Full record

Trial reportEuropean journal of pain (London, England)2025

Pain Mechanisms and Psychosocial Variables in Patients With Chronic Pain After Total Knee Arthroplasty: Secondary Analysis From a Randomised Controlled Trial.

Jesper Bie Larsen, Søren T Skou, Mogens Laursen, Niels Henrik Bruun, Pascal Madeleine, Lars Arendt-Nielsen

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in European journal of pain (London, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Jesper Bie LarsenMusculoskeletal Health and Implementation, Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3077-7913
Søren T SkouResearch Unit for Musculoskeletal Function and Physiotherapy, Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Mogens LaursenOrthopedic Surgery Research Unit, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
Niels Henrik BruunResearch Data and Biostatistics, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
Pascal MadeleineExerciseTech, Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
Lars Arendt-NielsenTranslational Pain Biomarkers, Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionChronic pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) affects approx. 15%-20% of patients undergoing surgery. It is largely unexplained why some patients develop chronic pain after TKA, but several factors, e.g., central pain mechanisms and psychosocial factors, have been suggested. This study assessed central pain mechanisms and psychosocial factors in patients with chronic pain after TKA, receiving neuromuscular exercise and pain neuroscience education (PNE) as treatment.

methodsThis is the secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial. Sixty-nine patients with chronic pain at least one-year post-TKA, experiencing an average daily pain intensity of ≥ 4 on a numerical rating scale, were recruited. Participants were randomised to receive either 12 weeks of group-based neuromuscular exercise and two sessions of group-based PNE or two sessions of group-based PNE alone. Outcomes measured included temporal summation of pain (TSP) and pressure pain thresholds at the index knee and forearm, conditioned pain modulation, PainDETECT scores, fear-avoidance beliefs and pain catastrophizing.

resultsThe study found a significant between-group difference in change from baseline to 12 months for TSP at the index knee, favouring the neuromuscular exercise and PNE group (-1.45, 95% CI -2.48 to -0.42, p = 0.006). This indicates less facilitated TSP in the neuromuscular exercise and PNE group after intervention. No significant between-group differences were observed for the remaining outcomes.

conclusionThe results indicated that neuromuscular exercise combined with PNE significantly reduced TSP at the index knee, suggesting a reduction in central pain amplification. The clinical importance of this exploratory finding should be further investigated. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This trial showed that neuromuscular exercises in combination with pain neuroscience education resulted on decreased pain sensitization, measured as temporal summation of pain, in patients with chronic pain after total knee arthroplasty. The clinical relevance of central amplification of pain remains unclear but point at improved pain processing, i.e., reduced pain amplification.

Indexed as

Arthroplasty, Replacement, KneeChronic PainExercise TherapyPostoperative PainAgedCatastrophizationFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPain ManagementPain MeasurementPain ThresholdTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID40539733
PMCPMC12180387

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.