Researchers Recruiting Patients for Large Osteoarthritis of the Knee Study

Researchers are recruiting patients for the largest multi-center study ever conducted on osteoarthritis of the knee.

The seven-year Osteoarthritis Initiative will enroll 5,000 volunteers nationally, including 1,250 from the Baltimore area. Volunteers will range in age from 45 to 79 and at least half will be African-American.

The study is funded by an $8.1 million research contract from the National Institutes of Health. The institutions involved in the study are the University of Maryland Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Ohio State University, University of Pittsburgh, Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island and University of California San Francisco.

"This initiative may lead to new drug therapies to prevent osteoarthritis of the knee or halt its progression," said lead researcher Dr. Marc C. Hochberg, who heads the Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

"Current therapies are predominantly designed to relieve pain, but to treat the disease itself, we must understand its causes and identify potential targets in the disease process that may suggest new treatment strategies," said Hochberg. "This study is designed to pinpoint those factors through the collection and analysis of a wide variety of data."

Study participants will include those who have symptoms from osteoarthritis of the knee and those who are at increased risk. Participants will have to complete several questionnaires, undergo a physical examination and make six visits to their research sites over five years to take walking tests and provide blood and urine specimens. The study includes x-rays of the hands, hips and knees and state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging of the knees.

Those interested in information about the study and how to participate should call 410-706-5791 or 1-866-565-5633 outside the local calling area.

Other sources: University of Maryland