Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39614960›Full record

SynthesisInflammopharmacology2025

Methotrexate for osteoarthritis: a systematic review meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Ivo Queiroz, Túlio Pimentel, Mariano Gallo Ruelas, Arthur Henrique Tavares, Lucas M Barbosa, Maria L R Defante, Giovanna N Leandro, Arthur Ribeiro Monteiro, Fernando Nunes Pimentel

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Inflammopharmacology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Methotrexate for hand osteoarthritis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2026
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Ivo QueirozDepartment of Medicine, Medicine Department, Catholic University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.
Túlio PimentelDepartment of Medicine, Medicine Department, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.
Mariano Gallo RuelasDepartment of Medicine, Instituto de Investigación Nutricional (IIN), Lima, Peru.
Arthur Henrique TavaresDepartment of Medicine, Medicine Department, University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.
Lucas M BarbosaDepartment of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Rua Alfredo Balena, Belo Horizonte, 190, Brazil. lucasmend78@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3408-2115
Maria L R DefanteDepartment of Medicine, Medicine Department, Redentor University Center, Itaperuna, Brazil.
Giovanna N LeandroDepartment of Medicine, Medicine Department, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.
Arthur Ribeiro MonteiroDepartment of Medicine, Medicine Department, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.
Fernando Nunes PimentelDepartment of Rheumatology, Clínica Reumatológica Fernando Pimentel, Recife, Brazil.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOsteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disorder causing pain and stiffness, with limited effective treatment options. Methotrexate, known for its anti-inflammatory properties in rheumatoid arthritis, is being explored as a treatment for OA. This study evaluates Methotrexate's efficacy compared to placebo in reducing OA symptoms, such as stiffness in the knee and hand, and its impact on pain, physical function.

methodsWe systematically searched PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), analyzing the efficacy of Methotrexate compared to placebo in patients with OA. We pooled risk ratios (RR) for binary outcomes. For continuous outcomes, we used standard mean difference (SMD) and mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Outcomes included were related to knee and hand pain, knee stiffness, and similar outcomes. We used R version 4.4.1 for statistical analyses. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) approach evaluated the quality of evidence.

resultsThis analysis included 5 RCTs comprising 465 patients, of whom 229 were randomized to Methotrexate. The age ranged from 52.4 to 67.5 years among studies. Compared with placebo, Methotrexate significantly reduced knee and hand stiffness at the end of follow-up (SMD - 0.36; 95% CI - 0.57 to - 0.15; p< 0.01), knee and hand stiffness at 6 months of follow-up (SMD - 0.48; 95% CI - 0.70 to - 0.27; p< 0.01).

conclusionMethotrexate significantly reduced knee stiffness in both knee and hand OA. However, current literature might be underpowered, more robust RCTs are necessary to validate these findings.

Indexed as

Antirheumatic AgentsMethotrexateOsteoarthritisAgedHumansOsteoarthritis, KneeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeAntirheumatic AgentsMethotrexateArthritis treatmentKnee painMethotrexateOsteoarthritisPain reduction

Identifiers

PMID39614960

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.