Sickle cell pain may start in the bones, scans put that idea to the test
NCT ID NCT05283148
First seen Sep 23, 2026 · Last updated Sep 23, 2026
Summary
Researchers at the University of California, Davis are studying whether low bone density and small spine fractures are linked to pain in adults with sickle cell disease. About 53 adults with sickle cell disease, ages 18 to 80, take part. Each person has a DXA scan to measure bone density in the spine, hip, forearm, and whole body, plus a spine X-ray analysis to check for vertebral fractures. Participants also fill out a pain questionnaire. The goal is to see whether people with weaker bones or spine fractures report more pain.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If low bone density and spine fractures turn out to line up with worse pain, doctors could start checking bones in sickle cell patients and treating bone loss as one way to ease pain.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small observational study of 53 people, so it can show a link but not prove that bone problems cause pain. Bone scans and pain questionnaires may miss other reasons for pain in sickle cell disease.
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
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
53 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Nov 2022
- 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 to 80 years
- 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 18-80 years with SCD (any genotype, confirmed by hemoglobin electrophoresis or high performance liquid chromatography) * Ability to provide written informed consent * Ability to lay on a DXA scanner * Negative urine pregnancy test for women of childbearing potential at study entry Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant women * Adults unable to consent * Individuals who are not yet adults (infants, children, teenagers) * Prisoners * Hospitalizations (any cause) within 2 weeks of study entry
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Avascular necrosis are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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
-
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center
Sacramento, California, 95817, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Why do some bones age faster? researchers dig into DXA scans for clues
- Could hip and knee replacement patients go home the same day?
- Sickle cell clues to diabetes risk hidden in DNA
- Can a simple wash stop the bacteria behind shoulder surgery infections?
- Can adding common pain drugs reduce morphine needs in sickle cell crises?
- Can fasting plus weights strengthen aging bones?