Osteoarthritis
The Arthritis Foundation’s osteoarthritis (OA) research program is working to accelerate the development of effectiveevidence-based solutions to improve outcomes for people living with osteoarthritis.
FastOA Initiatives
FastOA initiatives focus on identifying high-risk patient subgroups by targeting specific joints — such as the hipankle or shoulder — to enable earlier detection and more personalized osteoarthritis interventions.FastOA Ankle
FastOA Shoulder and Hip
TrialLaunch
Through our TrialLaunch programthe Arthritis Foundation supports early-stage trials and the development of tools that improve osteoarthritis clinical researchincluding new technologiesoutcome measures and methods that lay the groundwork for larger studies.
Strengthening Clinical Trial Readiness
Launching Innovation in Early-Stage Osteoarthritis Research
Learn about innovative clinical trials powered by the Arthritis Foundation’s TrialLaunch programexploring everything from extended-release treatments and cartilage-protective therapies to movement science and activity research that could shape the future of OA care.
Learn MoreLandmark Trials
Landmark clinical trials are largedefinitive studies designed to test whether an intervention can significantly improve outcomes for people with osteoarthritis. Unlike exploratory or design-focused studieslandmark trials aim to generate clearpractice-changing evidence. The Arthritis Foundation is currently supporting three such high-impact trials: PIKASOTOPS and KArAT.Stopping OA Before It Starts
The PIKASO Clinical Trial
PIKASO (Preventing Injured Knees from Osteoarthritis Severity Outcomes) is the largest science initiative in Arthritis Foundation's history. It is a randomized phase 2 clinical trial testing whether metformin can slow or prevent osteoarthritis progression in people with major knee injuries.
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Empowering MotionEnhancing Recovery
The KArAT Clinical Trial
KArAT (Knee Arthroplasty Activity Trial) evaluates whether health coaching and financial incentives can boost physical activity levels post total knee replacement. This study is supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and the Arthritis Foundation.
Learn MorePreventing OA Through Life
The TOPS Clinical Trial
TOPS (The Osteoarthritis Prevention Study) is a phase 3 clinical trial. It evaluates dietexercise and weight maintenance in preventing knee OA in at-risk women. Co-funded by the Arthritis Foundation and the National Institutes of Health (NIH)it includes multiple Foundation-funded scientists.
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The Osteoarthritis Clinical Trial Network
The Osteoarthritis Clinical Trial Networkor OACTNis an assembly of leading clinical investigators and research institutions working together to develop clinical trial infrastructure that will more rapidly bring scientific innovations to the patient community.
Advancing Arthritis Science
Arthritis Foundation Research News
2026 Inflammatory Arthritis Research Summit Highlights
The event focused on inflammatory arthritisincluding psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis.
Inflammatory Arthritis
For rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other inflammatory forms of arthritiswe’re supporting new ways of identifying and validating promising biological targets for diagnostics and drug development.
Learn MoreJuvenile Arthritis
To help solve the unique challenges of juvenile arthritis (JA)we’re partnering with Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) to expand the CARRA registry and more.
Read MoreWorkforce & Clinical Care
The Arthritis Foundation’s workforce development efforts encompass our Community Health ProgramClinical Rheumatology Fellowship Program and our PROs (patient-reported outcomes) Program.
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