Arthritis Clinical Trials in Boston, MA

The goal of this pragmatic randomized trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of remote Tai Chi to treat knee pain in adults with knee osteoarthritis. The main questions the trial aims to answer are: * Compared to routine care, will patients with Knee OA receiving remote Tai Chi exhibit greater improvement in knee-related pain (WOMAC pain score, primary outcome), pain interference (PROMIS-Pain Interference, secondary outcome), and health-related quality of life at 3 months? * Does remote tai chi decreases healthcare utilization and analgesic use over the one-year study period? Researchers will compare remote Tai Chi added to routine care to routine care alone to see if remote tai chi works to treat knee osteoarthritis pain. Participants will participate in remotely delivered web-based tai chi sessions, twice a week for 12 weeks, or will continue to receive routine care. Participants will be followed for 12 months after randomization. Read Less

This study will test the safety and effects of SBT777101 when given as a single dose to subjects with rheumatoid arthritis. It is the first study of this treatment being done in humans. Increasing dose levels will be given after the safety at lower dose levels is shown. Read Less

This is a randomized clinical trial (RCT) to assess the efficacy of bariatric surgery vs medical weight loss vs. the "usual standard of care" to optimize a morbidly obese patient with end-stage osteoarthritis of the hip or knee joint for total joint arthroplasty (TJA). The study population will include patients with hip or knee joint osteoarthritis and BMI (Body Mass Index) \> 40 kg/m2 who are evaluated in the joint arthroplasty clinic at Boston Medical Center. The primary objective of the study is to determine if bariatric surgery or medical weight loss is more effective than the usual standard of care in optimizing a morbidly obese patient with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee joint for TJA. This will be determined by comparing the number of patients within each group who are able to lose weight through either bariatric surgery, medical weight loss, or the usual standard of care to achieve a BMI ≤ 40 kg/m2 to eventually undergo TJA. The secondary objectives of this study are to compare total operative time, postoperative complication rates, readmission rates, percentage of total body weight lost, revision rate, and reoperation rate. The ability of patients within each study arm to maintain a BMI ≤ 40 kg/m2 for up to 2 years after undergoing TJA will also be assessed, as well as their level of satisfaction before and after being in the study. Read Less

The goal of this study is to establish the efficacy of an intervention of dietary weight loss, exercise, and weight-loss maintenance for knee Osteoarthritis (OA) prevention in adult females aged ≥ 50 years with obesity and no or infrequent knee pain. The primary aim is to compare the effects of a dietary weight loss, exercise, and weight-loss maintenance to an attention control group in preventing the development of structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) knee OA. Secondary aims will determine the intervention effects on pain, mobility, health-related quality of life, knee joint compressive forces, inflammatory measures, weight loss, exercise self-efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of this intervention. Read Less

The overall objective of this proposal is to test version 3.0 of the Arthritis smartphone app in a 12-month interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) design which will allow us to observe possible differences in visit frequency between the pre-and post-intervention periods as well as between the concurrent control group and those who receive the app. Our central hypothesis is that introduction of the app will reduce visit numbers per month in the group receiving the app, compared with a concurrent control group. 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

To determine the effect of first dorsal interosseus (FDI) strengthening in patients with thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) osteoarthritis. Read Less

Total knee replacement (TKR) is a common and costly procedure widely used to relieve pain and improve function in patients with symptomatic advanced knee osteoarthritis (OA). As of 2013, the annual incidence of TKR was over 680,000 surgeries and annual costs exceeded $11 billion. Growing evidence suggests that while pain and functional status improve following TKR, physical activity (PA) typically does not surpass pre-TKR levels. Engagement in PA can meaningfully improve quality of life (QoL), pain, and function. Given the large investment in TKR, the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of TKR could be substantially increased if TKR recipients became more physically active. The Knee Arthroplasty Activity Trial (KArAT) is a randomized controlled trial and participants will be randomly assigned to one of three arms. Participants across all arms will receive usual post-operative care for TKR surgery. Participants in the first arm will complete basic study activities, such as responding to surveys and attending two in-person clinic visits. Participants in the second arm will do the same and also receive a wrist-based physical activity tracker intervention. Participants in the third arm will receive a telephonic active coaching (motivational interviewing) and financial incentives (for reaching physical activity goals) (TAC(MI)+FI) based intervention, as well as a wrist-based physical activity tracker intervention. The second and third arms will be eligible to receive lottery-based financial rewards for wearing a wrist-worn activity tracker for twenty-four months during the study. Read Less

The overall goal of this pilot randomized trial is to obtain necessary prerequisite data to conduct a randomized controlled intervention to test the effect of vitamin K supplementation on knee osteoarthritis progression and related functional decline. To address critical parameters required to design this larger RCT, we will conduct a double-blind, 2-armed, parallel-group intervention study, with a placebo run-in, in which 50 adults with mild to moderate knee OA and low baseline vitamin K status will be randomly assigned to 1 mg phylloquinone/day or matching placebo, and treated for 6 months. Specifically, we will: (1) compare the effects of 1 mg/day phylloquinone vs. placebo on the non-functional circulating form of MGP; (2) estimate rates of recruitment and retention, follow-up rates and reasons for loss to follow-up, response rates to questionnaires, adherence/compliance rates, and potential for site differences; and (3) determine the responsiveness of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI)-recommended performance-based tests of physical function in adults with low vitamin K status and mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis. We will also obtain preliminary data on the distribution of MGP genotype at two clinical sites for effect size generation. Read Less

The aim of this study is to assess whether the use of a commercially available nutraceutical, turmeric, is an effective option to manage pain and stiffness in patients with basal joint arthritis. To conduct a pilot Randomized Controlled Trial evaluating the impact of turmeric on basal joint arthritis. Read Less