Arthritis Paid Clinical Trials in Iowa

The proposed study evaluates the effect of carbon fiber brace design on forces across the ankle joint. Research suggests that ankle arthritis develops after ankle fracture, in part, due to elevated forces on the cartilage. It is expected that carbon fiber braces can be designed to reduce forces in the ankle joint and thereby reduce the risk of developing arthritis following traumatic injury. In this study, brace geometry will be varied to determine how these changes influence the forces experienced by ankle cartilage. The proposed study will provide evidence that can be used by clinicians and researchers to design braces that most effectively reduce forces on ankle cartilage. Read Less

Carbon fiber custom dynamic orthoses (CDOs) consist of a proximal cuff that wraps around the leg just below the knee, a posterior carbon fiber strut that stores and returns energy during gait, and a carbon fiber foot plate that supports the foot and allows bending of the posterior strut. The proximal cuff is a primary interface between the patient and the CDO and may influence comfort, preference, limb mechanics and loading, and effective stiffness of the CDO. The important role of the proximal cuff has not been examined. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of CDO proximal cuff design on patient reported outcomes, limb mechanics and loading, and CDO mechanical characteristics. Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to examine the effect of a single autologous, intra-articular injection of MFat versus corticosteroid injection for the treatment of pain and function associated with K/L grade 2/3 knee Osteoarthritis. Participants will receive an injection of MFat or a corticosteroid. Read Less

This is a small-scale proof-of concept clinical trial of amobarbital as a treatment to prevent post-traumatic osteoarthritis in fractured ankle joints. The study is a double blind, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, stepwise trial. Amobarbital will be delivered to ankle joints in solution with hyaluronic acid (HA) as a vehicle. Amobarbital/HA injections (active dose) will be compared to HA alone (placebo dose). Our primary goal is to confirm safety, but we will also assess whether treatment improves chondrocyte viability and decreases synovial inflammation. The intervention that will be utilized has proven to be effective using vitro and in vivo models. The study team will assess safety and begin to evaluate efficacy of amobarbital/Gel-One in patients having sustained tibial pilon fractures. The study team will use advanced imaging-based methods we have developed to characterize how joints subjected to varying levels of fracture severity and residual elevated contact stress respond in treated and control groups. Read Less

This randomized pragmatic trial will generate knowledge about strategies used to de-escalate tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) therapy in patients with juvenile spondyloarthritis with sustained inactive disease and are treated at one of the 29 participating pediatric healthcare systems. This open label study will be conducted in the setting of routine clinical care and will compare the risk and timing of flare (Aim 1) and patients' lived experiences (Aim 2) across three arms. Read Less

This is a research study to test whether a once-weekly injection of abatacept will prevent the progression of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) to a more severe form. To evaluate the effectiveness of a 24-week course of treatment with abatacept plus usual care versus usual care to prevent polyarthritis (≥5 joints), uveitis, or treatment with other systemic medication within 18 months of randomization in children with recent-onset limited JIA. Read Less

The study purpose is to determine if giving pregabalin before and after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can improve pain and meaningful function after surgery in patients that have central sensitization (CS). Participants will be identified who are indicated for TKA. Interested patients will complete a standard Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcomes Score (KOOS), asked their pain score (on a scale of 0 to 10), and complete the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI). If they meet inclusion criteria and agree to participate, they will complete the informed consent before being randomized 1:1 to usual care (control group) or pregabalin (study group). The study group participants will take pregabalin starting 7 days prior to surgery. They will also be scheduled to have a pre-operative physical therapy (PT) appointment which will include tests and measures standard to PT. Tests will include a Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), a Sit to Stand 5 Times Repeat Test (5TSTS) and Patient Specific Functional Scale (SFS) measures. On the day of surgery participants will be asked about any adverse effects of study medication and determine need to withdraw from study. The post-operative plan will be reviewed, including dose of study medication. For the pregabalin group the doses will be doubled for 7 days, then reduced for 7 days, then off. All participants will be given standard peri-operative pain management for TKA . All participants will complete standard of practice physical therapy. After surgery (usually within 7 days) a physical therapist will perform standard post-operative evaluation and treatment for all participants. This includes a re-evaluation of the same pre-operative functional tests of TUG, 5TSTS and PSFS outcome measures. The study pharmacist will also call the patient to determine if there are any medication-related adverse effects and how much opioid medication the patient is taking at that time (morphine milligram equivalents- MME/day on average). At the 6 week post-operative visit all participants will again complete the KOOS survey, report a pain score, complete the CSI survey and determine MME based on patient report of quantity of opioid medication used. A physical therapist will complete the functional assessment of the TUG, 5TSTS and PSFS outcome measures. Read Less

The immediate goal of the proposed research is to test the value of a new low-cost, low-dose standing CT system for efficient early detection of both joint degeneration and elevated contact stress. The standing CT scanner holds promise for detecting arthritic changes earlier than other imaging modalities because of the combination of its 3D nature and ability to image joints in a weight-bearing pose. A secondary goal of the proposed research is to enable predictive models for osteoarthritis risk based on measures of post treatment contact stress, both to inform treatment and so that new interventions can be tested in a manner incorporating risk stratification. Read Less

The study will use a randomized controlled trial design to evaluate the potential of incorporating physical therapy exercises (primary prevention strategy) within an evidence-based intervention called Walk with Ease to reduce falls and fall risk in older, community-dwelling older adults. The integrated process and outcome evaluation will determine the relative effectiveness of individually prescribed exercises (compared to standardized exercises) as well as the potential of 'habit training' resources to improve compliance with exercises in this population. The study, conducted through a local clinical / community partnership will advance both science and practice while also informing implementation strategies needed to promote broader dissemination. Read Less

A minimum of 50 patients with ankle end-stage arthritis will be randomized in two parallel groups for surgery. One group will receive a total ankle replacement through an anterior approach and the other group a total ankle replacement via a lateral approach. Patients will be evaluated for a mean follow-up of two years in terms of complications, implant survival and functional results. One of the primary objectives of the study is analyzing the safety of the lateral and anterior approaches for total ankle replacement. Read Less