Trial reportAnnals of the rheumatic diseases2019
Effectiveness of low-dose radiation therapy on symptoms in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomised, double-blinded, sham-controlled trial.
Trial report in Annals of the rheumatic diseases, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 43 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
43 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 76 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy, safety, and pain management of low-dose radiation therapy in osteoarthritis: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.Rheumatology international · 2025Pooled it
- Comparative effectiveness of kilo- and megavoltage energies in low-dose radiotherapy for painful degenerative musculoskeletal diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] · 2025Pooled it
- Self-Management for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Pain research & management · 2022Pooled it
- ArthroRad trial: randomized multicenter single-blinded trial on the effect of low-dose radiotherapy for painful osteoarthritis-final results after 12-month follow-up.Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] · 2024Trial
- ArthroRad trial: multicentric prospective and randomized single-blinded trial on the effect of low-dose radiotherapy for painful osteoarthritis depending on the dose-results after 3 months' follow-up.Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] · 2022Trial
- Low-Dose Radiotherapy Leads to a Systemic Anti-Inflammatory Shift in the Pre-Clinical K/BxN Serum Transfer Model and Reduces Osteoarthritic Pain in Patients.Frontiers in immunology · 2021Trial
- Computer Tomography-Based Target Volume Delineation and Clinical Outcomes of Low-Dose Radiation Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis.Advances in radiation oncology · 2026Article
- Low-Dose Radiation Therapy (LDRT) for Osteoarthritis: A Retrospective Study of 94 Patients and 136 Joints Treated.Advances in radiation oncology · 2026Article
- Low-Dose Radiation Therapy for Osteoarthritis: Analysis of Preliminary Outcomes at Scripps Clinic.Advances in radiation oncology · 2026Article
- Article
- Critical Overview of Molecular Insights into Osteoarthritis and Therapeutic Targets: Cytokines, RANKL, MMPs, Adipokines and Phosphate Dysregulation.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- KORT - Knee osteoarthrosis radiotherapy trial: Protocol for a multidisciplinary pathway and a planned sham-controlled phase III trial of low-dose radiotherapy in knee osteoarthritis.Osteoarthritis and cartilage open · 2026Article
- Implementing a low-dose radiation therapy program for musculoskeletal pain disorders: tips, tricks, and essentials for clinical researchers.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2025Review
- Cell-integrated serum-induced signalling patterns can differentiate between hand and knee osteoarthritis patients.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2025Article
- The effects of various physical modalities on pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A network meta-analysis.Journal of orthopaedics · 2025Review
- Radiotherapy for painful shoulder syndrome: a retrospective evaluation.Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] · 2025Article
- Low-dose Radiation Therapy (LDRT) in Managing Osteoarthritis: A Comprehensive Review.Current therapeutic research, clinical and experimental · 2025Review
- From essential basic understanding to clinical application - biological, physical and pathophysiological principles of (low-dose) radiotherapy in benign diseases.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Review
- Nonsurgical Knee Osteoarthritis Treatments for Reducing Inflammation as Measured on MRI Scans: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2024Review
- Radiotherapy for benign diseases in Turkey: a patterns of care survey of the Turkish Society for Radiation Oncology (TROD 05-002).Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesLow-dose radiation therapy (LDRT) for benign disorders such as knee osteoarthritis (OA) is widely used in some parts of the world, despite absence of controlled studies. We evaluated the effect of LDRT on symptoms and inflammation in patients with knee OA.
methodsIn this randomised, double-blinded, sham-controlled clinical trial (RCT), we recruited patients with knee OA (clinical ACR criteria) in the Netherlands, aged ≥50 years, pain score ≥5/10 and non-responding to analgesics and exercise therapy. Patients were randomised 1:1 to receive LDRT (1 Gray per fraction) or sham intervention six times in 2 weeks, stratified by pain (<8 versus ≥8/10). Primary outcome was the proportion of OMERACT-OARSI responders, 3 months postintervention. Secondary outcomes included pain, function and inflammatory signs assessed by ultrasound, MRI and serum inflammatory markers.
resultsWe randomly assigned 55 patients: 27 (49%) to LDRT and 28 (51%) to sham. At 3 months postintervention, 12/27 patients (44%; 95% CI 26% to 63%) in the LDRT vs 12/28 patients (43%; 95% CI 25% to 61%) in the sham group responded; difference 2% (95% CI 25% to 28%), OR adjusted for the stratifying variable was 1.1 (95% CI 0.4 to 3.2). Also, for clinical and any of the inflammatory signs, no differences were observed.
conclusionsWe found no substantial beneficial effect on symptoms and inflammatory signs of LDRT in patients knee OA, compared with sham treatment. Therefore, based on this RCT and the absence of other high-quality evidence, we advise against the use of LDRT as treatment for knee OA. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NTR4574.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.