Botox shot may ease thumb arthritis pain for months
NCT ID NCT03187626
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether a single ultrasound-guided injection of Botox into the thumb joint, combined with a splint, can reduce pain in people with base-of-thumb osteoarthritis. Sixty adults with moderate to severe pain received either Botox or a saline placebo injection. The main goal was to see if pain improved three months later.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- botulinum toxin A (Botox)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new, non-surgical option to ease thumb arthritis pain for several months.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study, so results may not apply to everyone. Pain relief may be short-lived or no better than a placebo injection.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 2/3
Runs two stages together: whether the treatment works, then large-scale confirmation.
- Participants
-
60 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Nov 2018
- Finished
-
Apr 2021
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥ 18 years old * Pain intensity on a self-administered 11-point pain numeric rating scale ≥ 30 * Pain involving the base-of-thumb * X-ray evidence of base-of-thumb osteoarthritis with at least 2 of the 4 following items involving the trapeziometacarpal joint : osteophytes, joint space narrowing, subchondral bone sclerosis or subchondral cysts * 1990 American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for hand osteoarthritis adapted to base-of-thumb osteoarthritis * Medical examination * Written consent * Health insurance * For women of childbearing age, a negative urinary pregnancy test Exclusion Criteria: * History of thumb surgery * History of inflammatory or crystal-associated rheumatic disease * Neurological disorders involving the hands other than carpien canal syndrom * Collagen disorders involving the hands : Dupuytren, Marfan or Ehlers-Danlos diseases * Osteoarthritis predominating at the scaphotrapezial joint on X-Ray * Hand or wrist trauma ≤ 2 months * Hand or wrist intra-articular injections ≤ 2 months * Contra-indication to botulinum toxin A injection or to splinting * Cognitive or behavioral disorders making the assessment impossible * Participant unable to speak, read and write french * Bilateral BTOA without predominant symptomatic side * Pregnancy and breast feeding * Persons referred to in Articles L 1121-5; 6; 8; 9 of the Public Health Code (protected minors or adults, guardianship or trusteeship, etc.) * Patient with epilepsy
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Base-of-thumb osteoarthritis are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Service de Rééducation et de Réadaptation de l'Appareil Locomoteur et des Pathologies du Rachis, Hôpital Cochin
Paris, Paris, 75014, France
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.