NCT07744542

Brief Summary

Arthritis of the shoulder glenohumeral joint is a growing problem in an aging population. Treatment options for glenohumeral arthritis can be grouped into three main categories: 1) shoulder replacement surgery, 2) injections (corticosteroid, hyaluronic acid and PRP) and physical therapy (PT). Surgery comes with risks and the potential for implant failure or revision over time. Therefore, it is typical for doctors to prescribe injections and/or PT before discussing surgery. Sometimes, insurance companies will require PT before considering a shoulder operation. It is unknown if PT is effective for improving function or pain with patients with glenohumeral arthritis. The aim of this study is to compare pain and functional outcomes after undergoing a 12 week PT program, at home PT exercises or delaying conservative treatment.

Trial Health

75
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
125

participants targeted

Target at P50-P75 for not_applicable

Timeline
23mo left

Started Jun 2026

Typical duration for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
enrolling by invitation

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

Study Progress7%
Jun 2026Jun 2028

Study Start

First participant enrolled

June 17, 2026

Completed
1 month until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

July 17, 2026

Completed
18 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

August 4, 2026

Completed
1.9 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

June 30, 2028

Expected
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

June 30, 2028

Last Updated

August 4, 2026

Status Verified

June 1, 2026

Enrollment Period

2 years

First QC Date

July 17, 2026

Last Update Submit

August 1, 2026

Conditions

Glenohumeral ArthritisShoulder Arthritis Osteoarthritis

Keywords

Shoulder arthritisPhysical therapyHome Therapy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

  • Visual analog scale (VAS)

    measures pain from 0 being none and 10 as the worst pain ever felt.

    Time 0, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 1 year

  • American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES)

    This score is a 100-point shoulder evaluation tool divided evenly into a pain subscore (50 points) and an activities of daily living (ADL) function subscore (50 points). Higher scores indicate less pain and better shoulder function.

    Time 0, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 1 year

Study Arms (3)

Physical Therapy

EXPERIMENTAL

12 weeks of designated physical therapy focused on improving shoulder strength and range of motion

Behavioral: Physical therapy

Home Therapy

EXPERIMENTAL

12 weeks of home therapy program focused on improving shoulder strength and range of motion

Behavioral: Home physical therapy

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Subjects continue with coping mechanisms for 12 week period, no intervention

Interventions

Physical therapyBEHAVIORAL

12 weeks of designated physical therapy focused on improving shoulder strength and range of motion

Physical Therapy
Home physical therapyBEHAVIORAL

12 weeks of home therapy program focused on improving shoulder strength and range of motion

Home Therapy

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Patient diagnosed with glenohumeral arthritis
  • Patient \> 18 years of age (adults)
  • Patient provided written informed consent for study participation with IRB approved consent form
  • Patient is willing and able to comply with scheduled clinical and radiographic evaluations and physical therapy regimen

You may not qualify if:

  • Have had corticosteroid injections in the affected shoulder(s) within 6 weeks of starting physical therapy.
  • Those that have glenohumeral arthritis that is inflammatory, post traumatic or related to rotator cuff tear arthropathy in nature
  • Have avascular necrosis of the glenohumeral joint
  • Have failed a course of 6 weeks of physical therapy within the last year
  • Have had surgery on the symptomatic shoulder in the past year
  • Daily use of opioid (excluding tramadol or codeine).
  • Have dementia
  • Currently in a physical therapy program for more than 2 weeks
  • Have planned total shoulder arthroplasty in the next 6 months.
  • Live in a nursing home
  • Additionally special populations listed below such as pregnant women, and prisoners will be excluded.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine

Buffalo, New York, 14221-2108, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Physical Therapy Modalities

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

TherapeuticsRehabilitation

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Model Details: Randomized Controlled Trial
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Clinical Associate Professor Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

July 17, 2026

First Posted

August 4, 2026

Study Start

June 17, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 30, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 30, 2028

Last Updated

August 4, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Locations

US(1)