Ketorolac in Upper Extremity Tendinopathy and Arthropathy

Osteoarthritis Clinical Trial

Official title:

Single Blind RCT to Evaluate the Effect of Ketorolac in Upper Extremity Tendinopathy and Arthropathy

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05292339
• Other study ID #: STUDY00003892
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 4
• Start date: January 31, 2023
• Est. completion date: October 2025

Study information

• Verified date: March 2024
• Source: Emory University
• Contact: Paul A. Ghareeb, MD
• Phone: 404-778-3350
• Email: paul.ghareeb[@]emory.edu
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Osteoarthritis (OA) and inflammatory conditions of the tendons and joints of the shoulder, elbow, hand, and wrist are common yet disabling diseases. Standard management utilizes conservative measures to minimize pain and improve function. Conservative pharmacological management commonly includes corticosteroid and ketorolac injections which have been well investigated as a modality of pain control and improved function in large joint OA. However, fewer studies yielding mixed results on the duration of symptomatic relief exist for arthropathy and tendinopathy of these joints.

The goal of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of ketorolac and triamcinolone injections for common shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand tendinopathy or arthropathy.

Participants will be blinded to the treatment received. The duration of an individual participant's participation in this study is 24 weeks. During this time period, patients will be asked to return to the clinic for an in-person follow-up 6 weeks after the injection with either ketorolac or triamcinolone) in order to assess participants' outcomes. All work related to this project will take place at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex, Emory Executive Park, Emory Musculoskeletal Institute, the Emory University Orthopaedic and Spine Hospital, and the Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital. This study will add to existing knowledge by providing further insight into how wrist arthropathy should be most optimally and conservatively managed.

Description:

Osteoarthritis (OA) and inflammatory conditions of the tendons and joints of the upper extremity are common yet disabling diseases. These pathologic processes are progressive and painful leading to significant impairments in quality of life. Diagnosed patients experience a profound reduction of strength and dexterity hindering all activities of daily living. For a majority of the aforementioned shoulder, elbow, and hand/wrist arthropathies and tendinopathies, no curative treatments exist. Standard management utilizes conservative measures to minimize pain and improve function. These non-surgical treatments include physical therapy, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), orthosis, occupational protective equipment, and intra-articular injections.

Corticosteroid injections have been well investigated as a modality of pain control and improved function in large joint OA, however, fewer studies with mixed results on the duration of symptomatic relief exist for OA or tendinopathy of the smaller structures of the upper extremities. Furthermore, intra-articular corticosteroid injections are not without side effects. Adverse effects such as intra-articular infection, intra-articular calcification, skin atrophy, hypopigmentation, and tendinopathy have been reported.

NSAIDs, such as ketorolac, are widely used in OA to provide analgesia and reduce the underlying inflammatory process. The literature demonstrates that intra-articular NSAID injections are effective in reducing pain and functional disability in patients with knee and hip OA, however, randomized controlled trials involving the upper extremity are lacking. The goal of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of ketorolac and triamcinolone injections for common shoulder, elbow, hand, and wrist tendinopathy or arthropathy.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 160
• Est. completion date: October 2025
• Est. primary completion date: July 2025
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18 or older,

• symptomatic tendinopathy or arthropathy of the shoulder, elbow, hand, or wrist who have not undergone prior surgical treatment for their condition.

• Diagnoses may include trigger finger, De Quervain's tenosynovitis, radiocarpal osteoarthritis, first carpometacarpal (CMC) joint osteoarthritis, metacarpophalangeal joint osteoarthritis, or proximal interphalangeal joint osteoarthritis.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients under the age of 18,

• Patients who have undergone prior triamcinolone or ketorolac injections within the past 6 months,

• Patients who have undergone prior surgical treatment for their hand condition,

• Patients with allergy or contraindication to triamcinolone or ketorolac injection,

• Patients with an active infection at the treatment site [active infection defined as cellulitis, purulence, fever, chills, or presence of elevated inflammatory markers, ie. white blood cells (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP)].

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Arthropathy
• Joint Diseases
• Osteoarthritis
• Tendinopathy

Intervention

Drug:
• Triamcinolone injection to the shoulder, elbow, wrist, or hand
Triamcinolone is a corticosteroid that decreases the inflammatory process by inhibiting the release of arachidonic acid from phospholipids.
• Ketorolac injection to the shoulder, elbow, wrist, or hand
Ketorolac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that reduces inflammation by inhibiting Cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2 dependent prostaglandin release via the cyclooxygenase pathway.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	12 Executive Park Drive	Atlanta	Georgia
United States	Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital	Atlanta	Georgia
United States	Emory University Orthopaedic and Spine Center	Atlanta	Georgia
United States	Emory University Orthopaedic and Spine Hospital	Atlanta	Georgia

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Emory University	American Association for Hand Surgery: AAHS

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Changes in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score	Participants will be asked to complete questionnaires to evaluate their pain at each follow-up visit. The visual analog scale or visual analog scale (VAS) is a psychometric response scale that can be used in questionnaires. It is a measurement instrument for subjective characteristics or attitudes that cannot be directly measured. When responding to a VAS item, respondents specify their level of agreement to a statement by indicating a position along a continuous line between two end-points. The Visual Analog Scale will be the subjective measurement to evaluate changes in pain scores, with values ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (very severe pain).	Baseline, 6 weeks, 24 weeks
Secondary	Changes in the patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)	The Upper Extremity Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) is a patient outcomes questionnaire that will be completed by the study participant at every visit. Questions pertaining to pain interference subjective score (series of questions pertaining to different aspects of daily living: e.g. How much did the pain interfere with your day-to-day activities? Rated from "Not at all" to "Very much".	Baseline, 6 weeks, 24 weeks
Secondary	Changes in Hand subjectivity value	Participants will provide ratings of their subjective hand function from 0 to 100	Baseline, 6 weeks, 24 weeks
Secondary	Changes in the quick disabilities-arm-shoulder-hand (DASH) assessment	The Quick DASH uses 11 items to measure physical function and symptoms in people with any or multiple musculoskeletal disorders of the upper limb. It is scored in two components: the disability/symptom section (11 items, scored 1-5) and the optional high-performance sport/music or work modules (four items, scored 1-5).	Baseline, 6 weeks, 24 weeks
Secondary	Changes in Grip Strength	All strength measures will be evaluated using a handgrip and key pinch dynamometer. Patients will be instructed to position the upper arm vertically with the elbow flexed at 90 degrees and the forearm and wrist in a neutral position. For grip strength, the patient will be instructed to squeeze the handle of the dynamometer as hard as possible and the force will be measured and recorded.	Baseline, 6 weeks, 24 weeks
Secondary	Changes in Key Pinch	All strength measures will be evaluated using a handgrip and key pinch dynamometer. Patients will be instructed to position the upper arm vertically with the elbow flexed at 90 degrees and the forearm and wrist in a neutral position. For assessment of key pinch strength, the patient will be instructed to squeeze the thumb digit pad against the lateral aspect of the proximal interphalangeal joint of the index finger.	Baseline, 6 weeks, 24 weeks