Knee osteoarthritis affects more than 14 million Americans, causing pain, stiffness, and loss of cartilage in the knee joint. Current treatment includes weight loss, physical therapy, pain relievers, corticosteroid injections, and eventually joint replacement for severe cases. Research is now focused on drugs that might slow or reverse cartilage breakdown rather than just managing symptoms.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing drugs that target inflammation pathways in the joint, inject growth factors or stem cells to rebuild cartilage, and modify how joint cells respond to injury. Researchers are also studying pain mechanisms to develop better treatments for the chronic pain that persists even after inflammation settles. Gene therapy and cartilage repair techniques are moving from lab to early human trials.
Disease-modifying drugs
Several drugs aim to slow cartilage breakdown by blocking specific inflammatory proteins like nerve growth factor or IL-1. If successful, they could delay or prevent the need for joint replacement.
Regenerative treatments
Trials are testing platelet-rich plasma, stem cell injections, and cartilage repair scaffolds to help the joint rebuild damaged tissue. Some use a person's own cells, while others use engineered materials.
Pain modulation
Researchers are studying why pain persists in osteoarthritis even when inflammation is controlled. New drugs target nerve sensitization and brain pain processing rather than the joint itself.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on X-ray or MRI evidence of cartilage loss, pain severity, knee function scores, and whether you've tried standard treatments like physical therapy or injections.
What types of trials are currently open
- Disease-modifying trials — Testing drugs that aim to slow cartilage loss, measured by MRI scans and pain scores over months to years.
- Injection trials — Testing stem cells, growth factors, or engineered substances injected directly into the knee to rebuild or protect cartilage.
- Pain treatment trials — Testing new oral or topical medications for knee pain, often compared to standard pain relievers.
- Device and procedure trials — Testing knee braces, nerve stimulation devices, or minimally invasive procedures to reduce pain or improve function.
- Lifestyle intervention trials — Studies of exercise programs, weight loss approaches, or dietary changes to see if they slow disease progression.
Recently added Knee Osteoarthritis trials
Study of Wearable Interventions for Improving Mobility of Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) affects an estimated 654 million people over age 40 world-wide. In the United States, approximately 16% of adults over the age of 40 have knee OA. Pain, activity limitations and disability are common symptoms. Exercise is widely recommended as a non-invasive, first line strategy for people with knee OA. Yet, less than 1/3 of adults with knee OA meet recommended levels of physical activity, and rates are even lower among people who are overweight. Furthermore, adherence to evidence-based structured programs is poor once the therapeutic support is removed. End stage disease is treated by total joint replacement. Under-active people with knee OA would benefit from general walking activity, even if joint replacement surgery is expected; however, walking is difficult and motivation is low. Thus, people with knee OA encounter a difficult paradox: exercise could help decrease pain and improve function but doing so can be difficult and may not always be possible. There is a tremendous need to address this situation. This is a small device-feasibility study evaluating the Dephy ExoBoot, a wearable powered exoskeleton, in individuals with knee OA. The study assesses whether the device can reliably deliver positive assistance during walking and is tolerated across walking tasks. Additional measures, including changes in knee loading and walking speed with versus without the device, are also collected.
Perturbation Based Balance Training Versus Progressive Neuromuscular Training as an Adjunct to Conventional Physiotherapy for Pain Reduction and Functional Improvement in Knee Osteoarthritis
This is an RCT aims to explore Perturbation-Based Balance Training versus Progressive Neuromuscular Training as an Adjunct to Conventional Physiotherapy for Pain Reduction and Functional Improvement in Knee Osteoarthritis.
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