SynthesisBMC musculoskeletal disorders2022
Efficacy of corticosteroids for hand osteoarthritis - a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06603662 (Systemic Oral Glucocorticoids for the Treatment of Acute Osteoarthritis Pain in the Emergency Department), which is not on this map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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.
Systemic Oral Glucocorticoids for the Treatment of Acute Osteoarthritis Pain in the Emergency Department
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Effect of 6-week treatment with topical betamethasone dipropionate in patients with symptomatic hand osteoarthritis: A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.Osteoarthritis and cartilage open · 2023Trial
- The effect of hyaluronic acid injection compared to corticosteroids injection in hand osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials.Korean journal of family medicine · 2026Article
- Symptomatic knee osteoarthritis in older Thai adults: prevalence, risk factors, and associations with osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and fall risk-a nationwide cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Review
- Administration of a Methylprednisolone Taper and Complication Rates Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.Arthroplasty today · 2025Article
- Prospective Treatment of First Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis With Autologous Fat Transfer.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2025Article
- Development of quality indicators for hand osteoarthritis care - Results from an European consensus study.Osteoarthritis and cartilage open · 2025Article
- Osteoarthritis: Insights into Diagnosis, Pathophysiology, Therapeutic Avenues, and the Potential of Natural Extracts.Current issues in molecular biology · 2024Review
- Pain Management Strategies in Osteoarthritis.Biomedicines · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThere is some evidence that corticosteroids may have a beneficial effect in hand osteoarthritis. We examined the efficacy of corticosteroids on symptoms and structural outcomes in hand osteoarthritis.
methodsOvid MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from inception to October 2021 for randomized controlled trials investigating the efficacy of corticosteroids in hand osteoarthritis. Two authors independently screened records, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias using the RoB 2 tool. Standardized mean difference (SMD) or mean difference (MD) was calculated, and random-effects meta-analyses were performed.
resultsOf 13 included trials, 3 examined oral corticosteroids and clinical outcomes in any hand joints, 9 examined intra-articular injection of corticosteroids and clinical outcomes at the first carpometacarpal joint and one in the interphalangeal joints. In meta-analysis, oral corticosteroids reduced pain (SMD -0.53, 95% CI -0.79 to -0.28) and improved stiffness (MD -5.03, 95% CI -9.91 to -0.15; Australian Canadian Osteoarthritis Hand Index stiffness subscale) and function (SMD -0.37, 95% CI -0.63 to -0.12) at 4-6 weeks. However, there was no significant persistent effect on pain and function at 3 months which was 6-8 weeks after study medication was stopped. There was no significant effect of intra-articular corticosteroids on pain or function at 4-6 weeks or over 3-12 months in first carpometacarpal osteoarthritis. Two trials evaluated joint structure at 4-6 weeks: one study showed oral corticosteroids reduced synovial thickening, neither showed an effect on synovitis.
conclusionsThere was low-certainty evidence for a medium effect of oral corticosteroids on pain relief and stiffness improvement and small-to-medium effect on functional improvement at 4-6 weeks, with no significant effect for intra-articular corticosteroids. Corticosteroids had no significant effect on any outcomes over longer term (3-12 months) off treatment. No trials examined the effect of corticosteroids on disease progression. The role of corticosteroids in hand osteoarthritis is limited.
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Registered trials
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.