---
title: Does Subacromial Injection With Glutamate Receptor Antagonist, Ketamine, Attenuate Pain in Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy?
nct_id: NCT02967640
overall_status: COMPLETED
phase: PHASE2, PHASE3
sponsor: Helse Møre og Romsdal HF
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
primary_condition: Rotator Cuff Tendinitis
countries: Norway
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT02967640.md"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02967640"
ct_last_update_post_date: 2025-08-22
last_seen_at: "2026-05-12T06:50:22.985Z"
source: ClinicalTrials.gov (mirrored, no enrichment)
---
# Does Subacromial Injection With Glutamate Receptor Antagonist, Ketamine, Attenuate Pain in Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy?

**Official Title:** Does Subacromial Injection With Glutamate Receptor (NMDAR) Antagonist, Ketamine, Attenuate Pain in Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy?

**NCT ID:** [NCT02967640](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02967640)

## Key Facts

- **Status:** COMPLETED
- **Phase:** PHASE2, PHASE3
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Target Enrollment:** 14
- **Lead Sponsor:** Helse Møre og Romsdal HF
- **Conditions:** Rotator Cuff Tendinitis, Chronic Pain
- **Start Date:** 2018-05-30
- **Completion Date:** 2024-12-30
- **CT.gov Last Update:** 2025-08-22

## Brief Summary

The hypothesis of the present study is that in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy a specific pharmacological blocking of peripheral glutamate-receptor N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor type1 (NMDAR) glutamate receptors will result in pain alleviation. Activated NMDAR1 has been demonstrated to be crucial for pain regulation in various pain disorders, and in biopsies from patients with tendinopathy, NMDAR1 was found to be activated.

To test this hypothesis a specific NMDA receptor antagonist, ketalar (ketamine), will be injected guided by ultrasound into the subacromial space in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy, and subsequently the pain response will be assessed.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 40 Years
- **Sex:** ALL
- **Healthy Volunteers:** No

```
Inclusion Criteria:

* diagnosis of rotator cuff tendinopathy by exercise-related shoulder pain with positive impingement tests as described by Hawkins and Neers, and MRI findings consistent with tendinopathy.
* Symptom duration at least 1 year to ensure neuronal ingrowth and NMDAR expression

Exclusion Criteria:

* previous surgery in any shoulder.
* previous cortisone use, either as injections or orally
* symptoms or signs of cervicobrachialgia or polyneuropathy
* full thickness rotator cuff ruptures verified by MRI
* primary inflammatory mediated pain, hence, patients with glenohumeral arthrosis, glenohumeral arthritis or systemic disorders predisposing for arthritis
* a central component of pain perception manifested by radiating pain in the involved limb; implying worse outcome after subacromial decompression.
* pregnancy
* breastfeeding
* reduced liver function (Increased serum bilirubin, ASAT or ALAT), decompensated heart failure (NYHA class 3-4)
* increased intracranial pressure or disease of the central nervous system (CNS)
* chronic alcoholism
* epilepsy
* psychiatric disease, increased intraocular pressure
* acute intermittent porphyria
* hyperthyroidism
* use of thyroid hormones
* upper respiratory tract infections
* pneumonia
* intracranial lesions
* acute head injuries
* ocular injuries
* hydrocephalus
* risk factors predisposing for intra-articular bleeding
* increased risk of infection
```

## Arms

- **Ketalar** (EXPERIMENTAL) — ketalar injection, subacromial
- **Placebo** (PLACEBO_COMPARATOR) — physiological sodium chloride (NaCl 9%) injection, subacromial

## Interventions

- **Ketalar** (DRUG) — 2,5 ml - if well tolerated immediately followed by another 2,5 ml - of an approximately 1 mg/ml ketalar solution (1 ml of ketalar 10 mg/ml + 9 ml of NaCl 9%) injected 2 times with 1-12 weeks between each injection
- **NaCl 9%** (DRUG) — 2,5 ml - if well tolerated immediately followed by another 2,5 ml - of a 9% NaCl solution injected 2 times with 1-12 weeks between each injection

## Primary Outcomes

- **Pain** _(time frame: 30 minutes)_ — Comparison of pain assessed by a visual analogue scale both at rest and abduction, after selective N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor type 1 blocking by ketalar injection subacromially controlled against Ringer acetate injection.

## Secondary Outcomes

- **Pressure pain tolerance** _(time frame: 30 minutes)_
- **Supraspinatus pressure pain threshold** _(time frame: 30 minutes)_

## Locations (1)

- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kristiansund Hospital, Kristiansund, Norway

## Recent Field Changes (last 30 days)

- `status.overallStatus` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.primaryCompletionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.completionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.lastUpdatePostDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `design.phases` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `design.enrollmentCount` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.criteria` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.minAge` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.sex` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `outcomes.primary` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `outcomes.secondary` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `armsInterventions.arms` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `armsInterventions.interventions` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `sponsor.lead` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `results.hasResults` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `locations.department of orthopedic surgery, kristiansund hospital|kristiansund||norway` — added _(2026-05-12)_

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT02967640.md*  
*Source data (authoritative): https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02967640*  
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