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Osteoarthritis

The Arthritis Foundation’s osteoarthritis (OA) research program is working to accelerate the development of effective, evidence-based solutions to improve outcomes for people living with osteoarthritis.

The Arthritis Foundation’s OA program is driving progress in osteoarthritis research by focusing on what matters most: better treatments, earlier intervention and lasting solutions. As the most common form of arthritis in the U.S., osteoarthritis urgently requires innovative approaches to slow or stop disease progression. Through strategic investments in research and clinical trials, the Foundation is identifying high-risk populations, developing tools and techniques for efficient trial design, and supporting transformative studies backed by rigorous protocols — all with the goal of improving lives and advancing toward a cure.
 
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At the Forefront of the PIKASO Trial

Don Anderson, PhD, brings his expertise in osteoarthritis research to the PIKASO trial.

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Grant to Fund Shoulder Osteoarthritis Research

American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and Arthritis Foundation team up for landmark award.

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Showcasing Arthritis Foundation Accomplishments

The Arthritis Foundation hosted events at the 2024 ACR Convergence conference to highlight challenges in access to care and game-changing research for arthritis patients.  

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FastOA Initiatives

FastOA initiatives focus on identifying high-risk patient subgroups by targeting specific joints — such as the hip, ankle or shoulder — to enable earlier detection and more personalized osteoarthritis interventions.

FastOA Ankle

The ankle arthritis grants program is in collaboration with the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society.
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FastOA Shoulder and Hip

FastOA Shoulder and Hip are in collaboration with American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.
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TrialLaunch

Through our TrialLaunch program, the Arthritis Foundation supports early-stage trials and the development of tools that improve osteoarthritis clinical research, including new technologies, outcome measures and methods that lay the groundwork for larger studies. Read about MOCHA and CoMeT.

 

Landmark Trials

Landmark clinical trials are large, definitive studies designed to test whether an intervention can significantly improve outcomes for people with osteoarthritis. Unlike exploratory or design-focused studies, landmark trials aim to generate clear, practice-changing evidence. The Arthritis Foundation is currently supporting three such high-impact trials: PIKASO, TOPS and KArAT.
Stopping OA Before It Starts

The PIKASO Clinical Trial

PIKASO (Preventing Injured Knees from Osteoarthritis Severity Outcomes) is the largest science initiative in Arthritis Foundation's history. It is a randomized phase 2 clinical trial testing whether metformin can slow or prevent osteoarthritis progression in people with major knee injuries.

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The PIKASO Clinical Trial
The KArAT Clinical Trial
Empowering Motion, Enhancing Recovery

The KArAT Clinical Trial

KArAT (Knee Arthroplasty Activity Trial) evaluates whether health coaching and financial incentives can boost physical activity levels post total knee replacement. This study is supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and the Arthritis Foundation.

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Preventing OA Through Lifestyle

The TOPS Clinical Trial

TOPS (The Osteoarthritis Prevention Study) is a phase 3 clinical trial. It evaluates diet, exercise and weight maintenance in preventing knee OA in at-risk women. Co-funded by the Arthritis Foundation and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it includes multiple Foundation-funded scientists.

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The TOPS Clinical Trial

The Osteoarthritis Clinical Trial Network

The Osteoarthritis Clinical Trial Network, or OACTN, is an assembly of leading clinical investigators and research institutions working together to develop clinical trial infrastructure that will more rapidly bring scientific innovations to the patient community.

OACTN Members and Partners

Advancing Arthritis Science

The Arthritis Foundation fuels innovation by offering grant opportunities through open requests for proposals. Join us to explore, collaborate and drive arthritis research forward. 
Funding for Researchers Science Meetings & Symposia

Arthritis Foundation Research News

Predicting RA’s Silent Companion: ILD

The Arthritis Foundation is funding a study to help predict the onset and progression of interstitial lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Inflammatory Arthritis

For rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other inflammatory forms of arthritis, we’re supporting new ways of identifying and validating promising biological targets for diagnostics and drug development. 

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Juvenile Arthritis 

To help solve the unique challenges of juvenile arthritis (JA), we’re partnering with Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) to expand the CARRA registry and more.

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Workforce & Clinical Care

The Arthritis Foundation’s workforce development efforts encompass our Community Health Program, Clinical Rheumatology Fellowship Program and our PROs (patient-reported outcomes) Program.

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