ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2021
Predictors of a placebo response in patients with hand osteoarthritis: post-hoc analysis of two randomized controlled trials.
Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Patient and healthcare factors associated with treatment response in patients with hand osteoarthritis: secondary analyses from a randomised controlled, noninferiority trial.EULAR rheumatology open · 2026Article
- Musculoskeletal Pain and the Prevalence of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Breast Cancer Patients During Cancer Treatment: A Retrospective Study.Journal of breast cancer · 2022Article
- Predictors for patient satisfaction of a single intra-articular injection of crosslinked hyaluronic acid combined with mannitol (HANOX-M-XL) in patients with temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis. Results of a prospective open-label pilot study (HAPPYMINI-ARTEMIS trial).BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2022Observational
- Exercise therapy with or without other physical therapy interventions versus placebo interventions for osteoarthritis -Systematic review.Osteoarthritis and cartilage open · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPlacebo can have a significant therapeutic effect in patients with hand osteoarthritis (OA). This aim of the study is to identify factors associated with a clinically meaningful placebo response in patients with hand OA.
methodsThis post-hoc analysis of two double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trials (RCTs) investigating the efficacy of GCSB-5 or diacerein as treatments for hand OA analyzed the efficacy of a placebo. Clinical and laboratory factors associated with a clinically meaningful response, defined as an improvement in the Australian/Canadian Osteoarthritis Hand Index (AUSCAN) pain score > 10 at 4 weeks relative to baseline, were identified.
resultsThe mean improvement in the AUSCAN pain score was - 6.0 ± 20.3, with marked variation between 143 hand OA patients (range: - 76.4 to 33.2). A clinically meaningful improvement was observed in 54 (37.8%) patients. Placebo responders had worse AUSCAN pain scores (55.7 ± 19.7 vs. 43.6 ± 21.6, p = 0.001) and a worse AUSCAN stiffness (68.2 ± 20.5 vs. 57.5 ± 24.5, p = 0.008) at baseline than non-responders. Improvements in pain correlated with the baseline pain level (Pearson r = - 427, p < 0.001). Structural joint changes such as tender, swollen, enlarged, or deformed joint counts did not differ between placebo responders and non-responders. In a multivariable analysis, only baseline AUSCAN pain was associated with a clinically meaningful placebo response (OR: 1.054, 95% CI [1.019-1.089], p = 0.002).
conclusionsHigh levels of pain at baseline are predictive of a clinically meaningful placebo response in patients with hand OA. Further studies are needed to optimize and utilize the benefit of placebo responses in patients with hand OA.
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