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What is arthritis, and what causes it?
Arthritis means inflammation or damage in the joints, causing pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduced movement. Its causes depend on the type. Osteoarthritis, by far the most common, comes from gradual breakdown of joint cartilage, driven by age, joint injury, excess weight, and genetics, and pain usually worsens with use. Inflammatory types, such as rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, happen when the immune system attacks the joints; stiffness is typically worst in the morning and eases with movement. Gout is caused by uric acid crystals in a joint. Arthritis is more common in women and older adults, and obesity raises the risk of osteoarthritis. Treatment ranges from exercise and weight loss to pain relief, joint injections, disease modifying drugs and biologics for inflammatory types, and joint replacement.
New to research? Read how informed consent works.
Types of arthritis clinical trials
Osteoarthritis trials. Weight loss medicines, joint injections, cartilage repair, and exercise programs for knee and hip osteoarthritis.
Inflammatory arthritis trials. Targeted pills and biologics for rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, including for disease that has not responded to current drugs.
Pediatric arthritis trials. Juvenile idiopathic and juvenile psoriatic arthritis studies in children.
Cell and tissue therapy trials. Stem cell based cartilage repair compared with surgery.
Lifestyle and remote studies. Tai chi, physical therapy, and home programs.
Who can participate in arthritis clinical trials?
Trials sort by arthritis type and severity. Osteoarthritis trials usually specify the joint, often the knee, X-ray severity, and pain level; inflammatory arthritis trials require a confirmed diagnosis, active disease, and often an inadequate response to prior medicines. Pediatric trials enroll children with juvenile arthritis. Exercise and lifestyle studies have wider doors. Eligibility always varies by study.
Types of arthritis, and where to find their trials
Osteoarthritis. The most common type; see osteoarthritis clinical trials.
Rheumatoid arthritis. See rheumatoid arthritis clinical trials.
Psoriatic arthritis. See psoriatic arthritis clinical trials.
Gout and ankylosing spondylitis. See gout and ankylosing spondylitis.
Juvenile arthritis. Studies for children are listed on this page.
How to enroll in an arthritis clinical trial
Identify your trial. Use the filters and match the stage or type and the treatment history named in study titles to your own.
Select your preferred location. Enter your city or state; large trials run at many sites, early phase studies at fewer centers.
Explore study details. Click "Learn More" for eligibility, prior treatment rules, and the visit schedule.
Complete the health profile. Click "Get started" to begin the 5-step application. Have three things ready: your arthritis type and which joints are affected, how long you have had symptoms, and the treatments you have tried.
Submit the application. A clinical trial coordinator reviews it and contacts you. Nothing is decided until informed consent, and participation is voluntary at every step.