Skip to content

Platelet-rich Plasma, Corticosteroid, or Lidocaine for Acromioclavicular Joint Pain

Bayesian Non-inferiority Trial of Injection Therapies for Acromioclavicular Joint Pain: a Randomized Clinical Trial

Status
Terminated
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05161468
Enrollment
34
Registered
2021-12-17
Start date
2021-08-12
Completion date
2025-05-12
Last updated
2025-05-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Acromioclavicular Sprain

Keywords

acromioclavicular joint, shoulder pain, platelet rich plasma, corticosteroid

Brief summary

This study will compare three different treatment injections for the management of acromioclavicular joint dysfunction (ACJ Dysfunction). Patients that consent and enroll will be randomized to receive (1) a corticosteroid injection, (2) an injection of Platelet Rich Plasma, or (3) a Lidocaine injection. Follow-up will occur over a 1 year period.

Detailed description

Subjects with a diagnosis of AC joint dysfunction will be recruited through the primary care and orthopaedic clinics at participating hospitals and clinics. Patients that consent and enroll will be randomized to receive (1) a corticosteroid injection, (2) an injection of Platelet Rich Plasma, or (3) a Lidocaine injection. The primary outcome will be the change in PROMIS Physical Function Scale at 6 months post-enrollment. Secondary outcomes will include additional time points (viz, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 12 months post-enrollment) and additional metrics (eg, AUC) as well as the PROMIS Pain Interference, Patient Acceptable Symptom State, Global Rating of Change, total limited duty days, and perceived recovery. Since the sample size is too small to establish non-inferiority by traditional hypothesis testing, a fully Bayesian approach will be used.

Interventions

2ml of 1% lidocaine will be drawn into a 3 ml syringe and labeled. It will then be delivered into the AC joint per standard injection procedures (estimated 1-2 ml).

DRUGCorticosteroid Injection

1 ml of triamcinolone acetonide (40 mg/ml) will be drawn with 1 ml normal saline into a 3 ml syringe and labeled. It will then be delivered into the AC joint per standard injection procedures (estimated 1-2 ml).

DRUGProtein Rich Plasma(PRP) Injection

30 ml of acid-citrate-dextrose (ACD) will be drawn into a 30 ml syringe to coat the syringe. 3 ml will be left in the syringe and then 27 ml of blood will be drawn via standard venipuncture. The 30 ml mixture of blood and ACD will then be prepared in the Peak PRP system as described in the manufacturer's instruction (PEAK® PRP System). After preparation, PRP will be withdrawn (2 mls) into a 3 ml syringe and labeled. It will then be delivered into the AC joint per standard injection procedures (estimated 1-2 ml).

Sponsors

The Geneva Foundation
CollaboratorOTHER
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
CollaboratorFED
Madigan Army Medical Center
CollaboratorFED
Brooke Army Medical Center
Lead SponsorFED

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Intervention model description

Bayesian regression model

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* TRICARE eligible beneficiaries (active duty, dependents, and military retired) with a primary complaint of AC joint pain. * Age 18-65 years * Able to speak and read English well enough to provide informed consent, follow study instructions and independently answer the questionnaires/surveys. * Tender to palpation over the AC joint that reproduces the specific pain they are seeking care for * Provocative test (cross-arm test, pain with push-ups, etc) that reproduces the specific pain they are here to seek care for

Exclusion criteria

* In the last year, the subject received any invasive interventions including injections (corticosteroid, hyaluronic acid, lidocaine, PRP, etc.) or surgery for the affected shoulder - specifically to the AC joint. * Anyone separating from the military within 10 months (other than normal military retirement), pending a medical evaluation board, discharge from the military for medical reasons, or pending or undergoing any litigation for an injury * AC Joint separation that are with a severity of Grades III-VI (in most cases, these are treated surgically, although 78% of military surgeons recommended preferring conservative care for Grade III separations, and 86% recommending at least 3 months of conservative care before surgical consideration. * Systemic Disease that could otherwise be responsible for the shoulder pain (i.e. rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or psoriatic arthritis), non-musculoskeletal conditions causing shoulder pain, personal history of neoplasm, current or recent shoulder joint infection, acute fracture or dislocation of the shoulder related to the current episode of pain, or other more likely primary musculoskeletal shoulder disorders (rotator cuff pathology, bicipital tendonitis, etc.) * Concurrent adhesive capsulitis of the affected shoulder * History of intolerance or allergy to corticosteroids

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information Systems (PROMIS) - Physical Function Scale Computer Adapted Test (PF-CAT)6 monthsThe PROMIS PF-CAT uses a 121-item bank to assess current self-reported capabilities related to physical activities. Like all PROMIS measures, the measure is reported on a T score metric, with a score of 50 aligning with the general population mean and a standard deviation of 10. Higher scores indicate more of the quantity being assessed.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Patient Acceptable Symptom Scale (PASS)6 monthsWe will use the PASS as a global, dichotomized single-item score indicating if patients are satisfied with the current state of their symptoms. This tool has been validated in patients with osteoarthritis. The PASS asks the patient; Taking into account all the activities you have during your daily life, your level of pain, and also your functional impairment, do you consider that your current state is satisfactory? Response options are yes or no
Global Rating of Change (GROC)6 monthsThe GROC measures changes in perceived quality of life, in a variety of pain populations. It has a 15-point scale (-7 to +7), with a 0 indicating 'about the same, a -7 indicating 'a very great deal worse', and a +7 indicating a 'a very great deal better'. A score of -2 (a little bit worse) to +2 (a little bit better) indicates a perception of no change in the condition from baseline. A+3 ('somewhat better') or higher demonstrates a clinically significant improvement.
EuroQoL (EQ-5D)Baseline; 6 Months and 1 Year after Enrollmentthe EQ-5D is a generic quality of life questionnaire that will assess quality of life on a scale that can be referenced to other disease conditions. The EQ-5D covers 5 domains: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. Each domain has 3 response categories: level 1, no problems; level 2, some problems; and level 3, inability or extreme problems. Responses are combined to give a 5-digit descriptive health state classification (e.g., 11222) The EQ-5D yields a total of 243 possible health states. Valuations for each health state are available. The EQ-5D is commonly used in economic evaluation of interventions and cost-effectiveness analysis.
Shoulder Related CostsThe 1 Year Period After EnrollmentWe will use the Military Data Repository (MDR) to identify shoulder-related healthcare costs over the 1-year follow-up period.

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026