Could a short steroid course ease sudden joint pain?
NCT ID NCT06603662
First seen Aug 19, 2026 · Last updated Aug 20, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether adding a short course of oral steroids (prednisone or dexamethasone) to standard pain medication (ibuprofen) better relieves acute osteoarthritis pain in the knee, hip, or shoulder for adults visiting the emergency department. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups: standard care plus placebo, standard care plus prednisone for five days, or standard care plus a single dose of dexamethasone. The study tracks pain scores and side effects over two weeks to see if the steroids improve pain control and are well tolerated.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- oral prednisone or dexamethasone added to standard ibuprofen
- What this could lead to
- If adding a short course of steroids to standard painkillers safely improves pain relief, it could offer a better way to manage sudden osteoarthritis flare-ups in the emergency department.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small, early-stage trial, and the benefit may be modest. Steroids carry risks like blood sugar spikes and stomach bleeding, and the results may not apply to all patients.
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 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
-
About 192 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Feb 2025
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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 * Acute monoarticular arthritic joint pain affecting native knee, hip, or shoulder presumed to be related to osteoarthritis * Acute pain above baseline starting less than 72 hour prior to ED visit * Planned discharge from the ED * History of osteoarthritis of the affected joint based on radiography performed at index visit or prior available imaging Exclusion Criteria: * Trauma to the affected joint within 30 days * Injection of affected joint within 60 days * Prior arthroplasty of the affected joint * History of coronary artery disease, severe gastrointestinal bleeding, gastric/peptic ulcer disease, chronic kidney disease with GFR less than 30, or platelet disorders (including von Willebrand disease, hemophilia, severe thrombocytopenia with platelets less than 50 k/mcL) * Joint pain suspected to be related to rheumatoid arthritis, gout, septic arthritis, or other non-osteoarthritis autoimmune/inflammatory/infectious arthritis * Chronic/baseline use of glucocorticoids (greater than 5 mg daily prednisone or equivalent within previous 7 days) or NSAIDs (daily use for more than 2 days prior to presentation) * Daily prescription opioid use or active opioid use disorder * Illicit drug use * Known allergy/intolerance to ibuprofen/NSAIDs, prednisone, dexamethasone, or other medication precluding ability to participate in one or more study arms * Other contraindications to ibuprofen/NSAIDs or glucocorticoids * Planned hospitalization from the ED * Pregnancy * Incarceration * Inability to provide informed consent * Other conditions that would preclude compliance with the study protocol and medication dosing
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for 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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
WellSpan York Hospital
RECRUITINGYork, Pennsylvania, 17403, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- A prospective study using augmented reality versus conventional jig controls in total knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis
- Can a purified form of ibuprofen better tame osteoarthritis pain?
- Light weights, tight cuff: a new way to prep knees for surgery?
- Inside or outside the knee: which steroid injection spot eases arthritis pain better?
- Could simple home exercises be the key to better knee health?
- Can a new plastic hip liner outlast the old ones?