Intraarticular Gold Microparticles for Knee Osteoarthritis
1 other identifier
interventional
240
0 countries
N/A
Brief Summary
The investigators have shown in three pilot studies that intra-articular metallic gold microparticles can reduce knee osteoarthritis pain for up to two years. These results are noteworthy considering the growing number of older adults who suffer from osteoarthritis pain, which contributes to increased demand on healthcare resources. Demonstrating effective treatment could alleviate this burden for a significant portion of the aging population. The specific aim is to evaluate whether intra-articular metallic gold microparticles are superior to placebo in reducing the need for additional treatment in patients with knee osteoarthritis within one year. The investigators will test the hypothesis that intra-articular metallic gold microparticles reduce subsequent treatment events by more than 50% compared to placebo during this period.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable knee-osteoarthritis
Started Feb 2026
Longer than P75 for not_applicable knee-osteoarthritis
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
Click on a node to explore related trials.
Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
September 5, 2025
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
October 1, 2025
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
February 1, 2026
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
February 1, 2026
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
February 1, 2029
ExpectedOctober 1, 2025
September 1, 2025
Same day
September 5, 2025
September 29, 2025
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
The primary outcome is any additional treatment event such as, re-referral, intra-articular injection, arthroscopy or any knee replacement surgery within 1 year.
Time to event
1 year
Secondary Outcomes (4)
The PainDetect questionnaire
1 year
The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC)
1 year
The quality of life score EQ-5D-5L
1 yar
Proteomic analysis of synovial fluid and serum
8 weeks
Study Arms (2)
Intraarticular gold microprarticles plus hyaluronic acid
EXPERIMENTAL20 mg metallic gold microparticles (72.000 particles, 20-40 µm) will be injected into the knee joint using 2 mL hyaluronic acid.
Intraarticular hyaluronic acid
PLACEBO COMPARATOR2 mL hyaluronic acid will be injected into the knee joint
Interventions
20 mg metallic gold microparticles (72.000 particles, 20-40 µm) will be injected into the knee joint using 2 mL hyaluronic acid.
20 mg metallic gold microparticles (72.000 particles, 20-40 µm) will be injected into the knee joint using 2 mL hyaluronic acid.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- more than 6 months of knee pain without efficacy on pain of conservative treatment, radiographic knee osteoarthritis according to Kellgren-Lawrence grade 1-4, and age ≥18years
You may not qualify if:
- malalignment, indication for knee replacement surgery, malignancy, active infection and antibiotic treatment, active treatment with steroids, biological or other anti-Rheumatic medication, inability to comply with the protocol, inadequacy in the written and spoken national language
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
- Northern Orthopaedic Division, Denmarklead
- Aalborg Universitycollaborator
Related Publications (25)
Barfod KW, Blond L, Mikkelsen RK, Bagge J, Holmich LR, Kallemose T, Troelsen A, Holmich P. Treatment of knee osteoarthritis with a single injection of autologous micro-fragmented adipose tissue is not superior to a placebo saline injection: a blinded randomised controlled trial with 2-year follow-up. Br J Sports Med. 2025 Aug 26;59(17):1219-1227. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2024-108732.
PMID: 40101939BACKGROUNDKim KI, Kim MS, Kim JH. Intra-articular Injection of Autologous Adipose-Derived Stem Cells or Stromal Vascular Fractions: Are They Effective for Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis? A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Am J Sports Med. 2023 Mar;51(3):837-848. doi: 10.1177/03635465211053893. Epub 2022 Jan 12.
PMID: 35019764BACKGROUNDPeck J, Slovek A, Miro P, Vij N, Traube B, Lee C, Berger AA, Kassem H, Kaye AD, Sherman WF, Abd-Elsayed A. A Comprehensive Review of Viscosupplementation in Osteoarthritis of the Knee. Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2021 Jul 10;13(2):25549. doi: 10.52965/001c.25549. eCollection 2021.
PMID: 34745480BACKGROUNDPereira TV, Juni P, Saadat P, Xing D, Yao L, Bobos P, Agarwal A, Hincapie CA, da Costa BR. Viscosupplementation for knee osteoarthritis: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2022 Jul 6;378:e069722. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2022-069722.
PMID: 36333100BACKGROUNDRichard MJ, Driban JB, McAlindon TE. Pharmaceutical treatment of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2023 Apr;31(4):458-466. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2022.11.005. Epub 2022 Nov 19.
PMID: 36414224BACKGROUNDBannuru RR, Osani MC, Vaysbrot EE, Arden NK, Bennell K, Bierma-Zeinstra SMA, Kraus VB, Lohmander LS, Abbott JH, Bhandari M, Blanco FJ, Espinosa R, Haugen IK, Lin J, Mandl LA, Moilanen E, Nakamura N, Snyder-Mackler L, Trojian T, Underwood M, McAlindon TE. OARSI guidelines for the non-surgical management of knee, hip, and polyarticular osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2019 Nov;27(11):1578-1589. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2019.06.011. Epub 2019 Jul 3.
PMID: 31278997BACKGROUNDAltman RD, Devji T, Bhandari M, Fierlinger A, Niazi F, Christensen R. Clinical benefit of intra-articular saline as a comparator in clinical trials of knee osteoarthritis treatments: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2016 Oct;46(2):151-159. doi: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2016.04.003. Epub 2016 Apr 27.
PMID: 27238876BACKGROUNDPatel S, Dhillon MS, Aggarwal S, Marwaha N, Jain A. Treatment with platelet-rich plasma is more effective than placebo for knee osteoarthritis: a prospective, double-blind, randomized trial. Am J Sports Med. 2013 Feb;41(2):356-64. doi: 10.1177/0363546512471299. Epub 2013 Jan 8.
PMID: 23299850BACKGROUNDBellamy N, Campbell J, Robinson V, Gee T, Bourne R, Wells G. Intraarticular corticosteroid for treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006 Apr 19;(2):CD005328. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005328.pub2.
PMID: 16625636BACKGROUNDChavda S, Rabbani SA, Wadhwa T. Role and Effectiveness of Intra-articular Injection of Hyaluronic Acid in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review. Cureus. 2022 Apr 26;14(4):e24503. doi: 10.7759/cureus.24503. eCollection 2022 Apr.
PMID: 35651409BACKGROUNDBhandari M, Bannuru RR, Babins EM, Martel-Pelletier J, Khan M, Raynauld JP, Frankovich R, Mcleod D, Devji T, Phillips M, Schemitsch EH, Pelletier JP. Intra-articular hyaluronic acid in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: a Canadian evidence-based perspective. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2017 Sep;9(9):231-246. doi: 10.1177/1759720X17729641. Epub 2017 Sep 12.
PMID: 28932293BACKGROUNDConcoff A, Sancheti P, Niazi F, Shaw P, Rosen J. The efficacy of multiple versus single hyaluronic acid injections: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2017 Dec 21;18(1):542. doi: 10.1186/s12891-017-1897-2.
PMID: 29268731BACKGROUNDSkou ST, Rasmussen S, Laursen MB, Rathleff MS, Arendt-Nielsen L, Simonsen O, Roos EM. The efficacy of 12 weeks non-surgical treatment for patients not eligible for total knee replacement: a randomized controlled trial with 1-year follow-up. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2015 Sep;23(9):1465-75. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2015.04.021. Epub 2015 Apr 30.
PMID: 25937024BACKGROUNDSkou ST, Roos EM, Laursen MB, Rathleff MS, Arendt-Nielsen L, Simonsen O, Rasmussen S. A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Total Knee Replacement. N Engl J Med. 2015 Oct 22;373(17):1597-606. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1505467.
PMID: 26488691BACKGROUNDZhang Z, Hu Z, Zhao D, Huang H, Liang Y, Mao B. Arthroscopic surgery is not superior to conservative treatment in knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trails. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2024 Sep 5;25(1):712. doi: 10.1186/s12891-024-07813-3.
PMID: 39237972BACKGROUNDCotter EJ, Weissman AC, Yazdi AA, Muth SA, Cole BJ. Arthroscopic Debridement of Mild and Moderate Knee Osteoarthritis Results in Clinical Improvement at Short-Term Follow-Up: A Systematic Review. Arthroscopy. 2025 Feb;41(2):377-389. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2024.03.016. Epub 2024 Mar 18.
PMID: 38508289BACKGROUNDPetterson SC, Brite JE, Jelen ES, Wang KH, Reyes MM, Briggs KK, Plancher KD. Arthroscopic Management of Moderate-to-Severe Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Systematic Review. JBJS Rev. 2024 Sep 19;12(9). doi: 10.2106/JBJS.RVW.24.00100. eCollection 2024 Sep 1.
PMID: 39348469BACKGROUNDTurkiewicz A, Gerhardsson de Verdier M, Engstrom G, Nilsson PM, Mellstrom C, Lohmander LS, Englund M. Prevalence of knee pain and knee OA in southern Sweden and the proportion that seeks medical care. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2015 May;54(5):827-35. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keu409. Epub 2014 Oct 13.
PMID: 25313145BACKGROUNDCao F, Xu Z, Li XX, Fu ZY, Han RY, Zhang JL, Wang P, Hou S, Pan HF. Trends and cross-country inequalities in the global burden of osteoarthritis, 1990-2019: A population-based study. Ageing Res Rev. 2024 Aug;99:102382. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102382. Epub 2024 Jun 23.
PMID: 38917934BACKGROUNDLi XX, Cao F, Zhao CN, Ge M, Wei HF, Tang J, Xu WL, Wang S, Gao M, Wang P, Pan HF. Global burden of osteoarthritis: Prevalence and temporal trends from 1990 to 2019. Int J Rheum Dis. 2024 Aug;27(8):e15285. doi: 10.1111/1756-185X.15285.
PMID: 39114972BACKGROUNDRasmussen S, Skjoldemose E, Jorgensen NK. Intraarticular gold microparticles using hyaluronic acid as the carrier for hip osteoarthritis. A 2-year follow-up pilot study. Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 1;14(1):26249. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-77760-5.
PMID: 39482349BACKGROUNDRasmussen S, Aboo C, Skallerup J, Stensballe A. Intraarticular gold for knee osteoarthritis: An ancillary analysis of biomarkers and outcome of a pilot study. Osteoarthr Cartil Open. 2024 Aug 31;6(4):100514. doi: 10.1016/j.ocarto.2024.100514. eCollection 2024 Dec.
PMID: 39291082BACKGROUNDRasmussen S, Frederickson C, Danscher G. Inhibition of Local Inflammation by Implanted Gold: A Narrative Review of the History and Use of Gold. J Rheumatol. 2023 May;50(5):704-705. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.221150. Epub 2023 Mar 15. No abstract available.
PMID: 36921973BACKGROUNDDanscher G, Rasmussen S. nanoGold and microGold inhibit autoimmune inflammation: a review. Histochem Cell Biol. 2023 Mar;159(3):225-232. doi: 10.1007/s00418-023-02182-9. Epub 2023 Mar 2.
PMID: 36864314BACKGROUNDRasmussen S, Kjaer Petersen K, Kristiansen MK, Skallerup J, Aboo C, Thomsen ME, Skjoldemose E, Jorgensen NK, Stensballe A, Arendt-Nielsen L. Gold micro-particles for knee osteoarthritis. Eur J Pain. 2022 Apr;26(4):811-824. doi: 10.1002/ejp.1909. Epub 2022 Feb 1.
PMID: 35076138BACKGROUND
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Interventions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- QUADRUPLE
- Who Masked
- PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
- Purpose
- TREATMENT
- Intervention Model
- FACTORIAL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Professor
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
September 5, 2025
First Posted
October 1, 2025
Study Start
February 1, 2026
Primary Completion
February 1, 2026
Study Completion (Estimated)
February 1, 2029
Last Updated
October 1, 2025
Record last verified: 2025-09
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will share
- Shared Documents
- STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, CSR, ANALYTIC CODE
- Time Frame
- February 2029
After the publication of the study: