ArticleClinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico2022
Low-dose radiation therapy for hand osteoarthritis: shaking hands again?
Article in Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled 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
- 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
- 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
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- Article
- Low-dose Radiation Therapy (LDRT) in Managing Osteoarthritis: A Comprehensive Review.Current therapeutic research, clinical and experimental · 2025Review
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Authors and funding
13 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHand osteoarthritis (HOA) is one of the most common causes of pain and functional disability in western countries and there is still no definitive cure. Low-dose radiation therapy (LDRT) has anti-inflammatory properties that have shown to be effective in the symptomatic relief of various degenerative musculoskeletal disorders. We designed a clinical protocol using LDRT for symptomatic HOA and present results and tolerance in the first 100 patients included. MATERIALS AND
methodsBetween April 2015 and March 2021, 100 patients with a median age of 60 were treated. Fifty-seven patients suffering from proximal/distal interphalangeal joint pain, 40 patients with thumb arthritis, 2 patients with radiocarpal joint affection and 1 patient with metacarpophalangeal joint pain were enrolled. LDRT comprised of 6 fractions of 0.5-1 Gy on every other day up to a total dose of 3-6 Gy. Clinical response was evaluated according to the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain level and the von Pannewitz score (VPS) for joint functionality. Any patients not achieving subjective adequate pain relief after 8 weeks of treatment were offered a second identical LDRT course.
resultsWith a median follow-up of 10.5 months (range 7.55-12.45), 94% reported an improvement in the pain, with a significant reduction in the VAS level after 3, 6 and 12 months (p < 0.001). Sixty-three patients needed a second course of treatment at a median time interval of 12 weeks (range 9-14). The mean VAS score before treatment was 8 (range 3-10). After treatment, it was 5 (range 1-10). After 3, 6 and 12 months, the mean VAS scores were 4 (range 0-9), 3 (range 0-9) and 3.5 (range 0-9), respectively. Seventy patients reported functionality improvements after LDRT according to the von Pannewitz score. No acute or late complications were observed.
conclusionLDRT appears to be safe and useful for HOA and is associated with good rates of pain relief and functionality improvements. However, further studies are necessary to confirm these promising results.
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