NCT07286084

Effectiveness, Satisfaction, and Usability of Virtual Reality in the Management of Postoperative Pain in Patients Undergoing Knee Arthroplasty

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 45 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Universidad Francisco de Vitoria · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of using virtual reality glasses to reduce the need for rescue analgesia in patients with acute postoperative pain after knee arthroplasty. The main questions it aims to answer are: * What is the impact of virtual reality use on postoperative pain perception as measured by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)? * What potential adverse effects are associated with the use of virtual reality in the postoperative context? * What is the level of satisfaction and acceptance of virtual reality as a complementary strategy for pain management? * How does virtual reality influence quality of life and psychosocial variables in patients with acute postoperative pain after knee arthroplasty?

Detailed description

A single-blind, randomized controlled trial will be conducted to compare gaming, 360° video viewing, and usual care interventions. Participants will be recruited from the prehabilitation clinic at Hospital del Sureste (Arganda del Rey), and the study will follow the CONSORT guidelines for clinical crossover and parallel trials. Three experimental groups will be tested, with interventions performed at three different time points during hospitalization, each session lasting between 10 and 30 minutes. The gaming group will play video games, the control group will view 360° videos, and the usual care group will receive standard analgesia according to the protocol. Outcome measures will be assessed at baseline (3 months before the intervention), during the intervention, and 1 month after the intervention.

Conditions

• Knee Arthroplasty

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	VIRTUAL REALITY	Interactive VR Games: Participants use Meta Quest 3 head-mounted displays running a custom-developed VR application designed to elicit upper-limb and trunk movements. The application includes multiple structured scenarios: * Scenario 1 (Painting): Participants perform arm movements using handheld controllers to interact with a virtual painting environment. * Scenario 2 (Greenhouse): Participants move the arm to attract a butterfly, guide it toward a flower, and complete the assigned interaction task. * Scenario 3 (Aquarium): Participants perform bilateral arm movements to pop virtual bubbles. Immersive 360° Videos:Participants use Meta Quest 3 head-mounted displays to view immersive 360° relaxing videos (e.g., natural landscapes accompanied by calming background music).

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-12-27
• Primary completion: 2025-12-30
• Completion: 2026-12-30
• First posted: 2025-12-16
• Last updated: 2025-12-16