Thumb arthritis pain relief: steroid shot vs. placebo
NCT ID NCT04177433
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether a steroid injection into the thumb joint can reduce pain and improve hand function in people with thumb osteoarthritis. 61 adults received either a steroid shot or a placebo (salt water) and were followed for 6 months. The goal was to see if the steroid provides meaningful pain relief compared to placebo.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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61 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Dec 2020
- Finished
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Dec 2025
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Participants must be 18 years old or older at recruitment * Present clinical and radiographic signs of thumb CMC OA using the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for the classification of hand osteoarthritis. Exclusion Criteria: * History of inflammatory arthritis * Previous steroid joint injection to either thumb CMC joint * Pregnancy or breastfeeding * Psychiatric illness * Cognitive impairment, or health conditions that preclude informed consent or receiving the injection * People who do not speak/read/understand English, have no fixed address or contact, or are unwilling to complete follow-ups
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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
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Western Hand & Upper Limb Facility, Sturgeon Community Hospital
St. Albert, Alberta, T8N 6C4, Canada
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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