Methotrexate Treatment in Hand Osteoarthritis Refractory to Usual Treatments

To be considered for this study, you generally need to be between 40 and 85 years old. Your doctor would need to confirm you have osteoarthritis in your finger joints (specifically IPD and IPP joints) based on special criteria, and X-rays taken recently (within the last 3 months) should show damage in at least three of these joints. Your symptoms, like pain and stiffness, should also have been present for more than three months.

There are also some reasons why you wouldn't be able to join. For example, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you've had certain recent injections in your hand joints (like hyaluronic acid in the last 6 months or cortisone in the last 3 months). You also couldn't take part if you have certain other medical conditions like psoriasis, inflammatory arthritis, or serious liver or kidney problems. Similarly, if you have certain infections like hepatitis B, C, HIV, or uncontrolled infections, or if you're taking specific medications like strong painkillers (morphine derivatives), certain antibiotics (Bactrim), or high doses of aspirin, you wouldn't be suitable for this study. Your doctor would carefully check all these points.

If you decide to take part in this study, you would be randomly assigned to receive either methotrexate or a placebo injection. You would need to attend regular appointments for assessments, which might include check-ups, blood tests, and possibly more X-rays of your hands to monitor your condition and how you are responding to the treatment. The injections would be given as part of these visits. The study would involve a period of treatment followed by observation to see the long-term effects. The total duration of your participation would be explained in detail before you agree to join.