Which injection eases knee pain better: steroid or sugar?
NCT ID NCT06308887
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
First seen Aug 20, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether a steroid injection or a dextrose (sugar water) injection, both guided by ultrasound, better reduces knee pain in people with osteoarthritis and a common meniscus problem called medial meniscal extrusion. Adults aged 40-79 with chronic medial knee pain and moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis are randomly assigned to receive one injection type. Pain and knee function are measured before the injection and again at one week, one month, and three months afterward to see which approach offers more relief.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Ultrasound-guided perimeniscal injection of either triamcinolone acetonide (a steroid) or dextrose (a sugar solution)
- What this could lead to
- If this works, it could point to a better injection choice for easing knee osteoarthritis pain and improving mobility in people with meniscal extrusion.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage comparison, so results may not apply broadly. Injections carry risks like infection or pain, and benefits may be short-lived.
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
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32 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Oct 2023
- Finished
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Mar 2024
- 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
-
40 to 79 years
- Sex
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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: * Grade 2-4 knee osteoarthritis, * Aged 40 to 79 * Chronic medial knee pain persisting for more than 3 months. * Ultrasound screening found medial meniscal extrusion of more than 3 mm * A Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score of at least 4. Exclusion Criteria: a skin infection at the injection site, a prior history of inflammatory arthropathy, a prior history of knee injection within the last 3 months, knee synovitis pes anserine bursitis scheduled for surgery
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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
-
Gamze Gül Güleç
Kastamonu, Kastamonu, 37150, Turkey (Türkiye)
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