Preventing Injured Knees From osteoArthritis: Severity Outcomes

NCT ID: NCT06096259

Last Updated: 2025-04-29

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

PHASE2

Total Enrollment

512 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-05-06

Study Completion Date

2029-12-31

Brief Summary

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This study is being done to find out if metformin is effective at reducing pain by delaying the onset of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. This research study will compare metformin to placebo. The placebo tablet looks exactly like metformin, but contains no metformin. Placebos are used in research studies to see if the results are due to the study drug or due to other reasons.

Metformin is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat type II diabetes. Notably, it also has anti-inflammatory effects, suggesting it could benefit people who have an ACL injury and are undergoing ACL reconstruction.

Detailed Description

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Osteoarthritis (OA) is among the most prevalent chronic, disabling conditions, occurring in over 32 million persons in the US. Worldwide, an estimated 240 million persons have symptomatic, activity-limiting OA. OA cases arising from injury are referred to as post-traumatic OA (PTOA). Approximately 12% of cases of lower extremity symptomatic OA are PTOA, often the result of injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture or ankle fracture. Four million Americans have PTOA. On average, patients with PTOA develop knee OA 10.4 years earlier than those with primary knee OA. Similarly, individuals with PTOA of the hip and ankle develop OA 9.0 and 14.0 years, respectively, earlier than their primary OA counterparts. Sustaining ACL injury early in adulthood leads to greater lifetime risk as well as earlier onset of knee OA and need for total knee replacement (TKR). The earlier age of onset means that PTOA is often a disorder of working persons, compromising productivity and quality of life. The indirect cost burden of PTOA is estimated to be \~$4.4 billion annually, because individuals are typically affected in their most productive years of employment.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is the most common sports-related knee injury, and many patients who wish to return to sporting activities that involve cutting and pivoting will choose to undergo ACL reconstruction (ACLR). Each year, more than 120,000 ACL reconstructions are performed in the US alone. Even though ACLR can allow people to return to sporting activities with a stable knee, there is still an increased risk of PTOA after the ACL injury and subsequent reconstruction. Studies have demonstrated that around 50% of patients who undergo ACL reconstruction develop OA within 10-15 years. Given the large number of ACL injuries and subsequent reconstructions that occur annually, and the strong association between ACL tear/reconstruction and PTOA, developing treatment strategies to delay or prevent PTOA and promote long-term health after ACLR is critical to maintaining the well-being of young, active populations. This study proposes to address these issues by testing the efficacy of metformin, a commonly used and safe drug with promising pre-clinical and clinical evidence of PTOA prevention, in younger adults undergoing ACL reconstruction.

PIKASO is a multicenter, double-blind (participants, treating clinicians, and assessors), placebo-controlled, randomized study to establish the efficacy of metformin at delaying the onset of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Subjects will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio. Each subject will complete standard-of-care postoperative physical therapy in both arms. The two primary outcomes will be KOOS pain (assessed at 12 and 24 months postoperatively and averaged) and modified MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score (MOAKS) cartilage score at 24 months postoperatively.

Conditions

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Osteoarthritis, Knee Post-traumatic Osteoarthritis ACL Tear

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Metformin

3x500mg metformin hydrochloride (HCl) extended-release (ER) tablets taken orally once a day for 1 year

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Metformin

Intervention Type DRUG

Metformin is an oral anti-hyperglycemic agent widely used as first-line treatment for type II diabetes to improve glycemic control. It is the fourth most commonly prescribed drug in the United States. Participants will receive commercially available extended-release metformin 500mg tablets manufactured by Granules India Limited, Hyderabad, India and then sourced, packaged, and labeled for the study by Sharp Labs. The study will follow standard dosing procedures for extended-release metformin. Participants will begin by taking 1x500 mg pill once a day, and then the dose will be increased in 500 mg/day increments every 5 days as tolerated, up to a maximum dose of 1500 mg daily.

Placebo

3x metformin placebo tablets matching metformin extended-release taken orally once a day for 1 year

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type DRUG

The study will use matching placebo tablets that are almost indistinguishable from the 500 mg metformin ER tablets. Participants will begin by taking 1x500 mg pill once a day, and then the dose will be increased in 500 mg/day increments every 5 days as tolerated, up to a maximum dose of 1500 mg daily.

Interventions

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Metformin

Metformin is an oral anti-hyperglycemic agent widely used as first-line treatment for type II diabetes to improve glycemic control. It is the fourth most commonly prescribed drug in the United States. Participants will receive commercially available extended-release metformin 500mg tablets manufactured by Granules India Limited, Hyderabad, India and then sourced, packaged, and labeled for the study by Sharp Labs. The study will follow standard dosing procedures for extended-release metformin. Participants will begin by taking 1x500 mg pill once a day, and then the dose will be increased in 500 mg/day increments every 5 days as tolerated, up to a maximum dose of 1500 mg daily.

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo

The study will use matching placebo tablets that are almost indistinguishable from the 500 mg metformin ER tablets. Participants will begin by taking 1x500 mg pill once a day, and then the dose will be increased in 500 mg/day increments every 5 days as tolerated, up to a maximum dose of 1500 mg daily.

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

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Glumetza Fortamet Glucophage extended release (XR)

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Age 25-45 or Age 18-24 with preoperative KOOS Pain \<80 (0-100, 100 best) recorded at least 14 days after the day of ACL injury
2. Plan to undergo ACL reconstruction within 12 months of injury

Exclusion Criteria

1. Inflammatory arthritis
2. Pregnancy and/or lactation, or plans to become pregnant in the next 12 months
3. Known contraindication to metformin
4. Current use of metformin or topiramate
5. Diabetes mellitus or diabetic ketoacidosis
6. Acute or chronic renal insufficiency
7. History of prior ACL tear on the index knee, with or without reconstruction
8. History of ACL tear on the contralateral knee within the past 12 months
9. Applying for or receiving Workers' Compensation for their knee injury
10. Joint space narrowing AND definite osteophyte(s) on weightbearing radiograph on index knee
11. Tibial plateau fracture on index knee
12. Concomitant avulsion fracture of index knee that will be treated surgically
13. Concomitant posterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament, or lateral collateral ligament injury on index knee requiring surgical repair/reconstruction
14. Contraindication to MRI
15. Unable to speak and understand English
16. Diagnosis of cognitive impairment or otherwise unable to provide informed consent
17. Insufficient time for recruitment and drug titration: Surgery scheduled for \<14 days from the time of screening
18. Date of injury more than 6-months ago, relative to date of screening
19. Presence of a condition or abnormality that in the opinion of the surgeon investigator would compromise the safety of the patient or the quality of the data
20. Plan for allograft at time of consent
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

45 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Arthritis Foundation

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Brigham and Women's Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Morgan H. Jones, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Morgan H Jones, MD, MPH

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Cale A Jacobs, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Locations

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Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics

Iowa City, Iowa, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

University of Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

University of Nebraska Medical Center

Omaha, Nebraska, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Hospital for Special Surgery

New York, New York, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

The Ohio State University

Columbus, Ohio, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Faith Selzer, PhD

Role: CONTACT

617-525-8617

Daniel J Betensky, AB

Role: CONTACT

6175259727

Facility Contacts

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Rachel Lovejoy

Role: primary

6177326934

References

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Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 Collaborators. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 301 acute and chronic diseases and injuries in 188 countries, 1990-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. Lancet. 2015 Aug 22;386(9995):743-800. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60692-4. Epub 2015 Jun 7.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26063472 (View on PubMed)

Brown TD, Johnston RC, Saltzman CL, Marsh JL, Buckwalter JA. Posttraumatic osteoarthritis: a first estimate of incidence, prevalence, and burden of disease. J Orthop Trauma. 2006 Nov-Dec;20(10):739-44. doi: 10.1097/01.bot.0000246468.80635.ef.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17106388 (View on PubMed)

Thomas AC, Hubbard-Turner T, Wikstrom EA, Palmieri-Smith RM. Epidemiology of Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis. J Athl Train. 2017 Jun 2;52(6):491-496. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-51.5.08. Epub 2016 May 4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27145096 (View on PubMed)

Brinlee AW, Dickenson SB, Hunter-Giordano A, Snyder-Mackler L. ACL Reconstruction Rehabilitation: Clinical Data, Biologic Healing, and Criterion-Based Milestones to Inform a Return-to-Sport Guideline. Sports Health. 2022 Sep-Oct;14(5):770-779. doi: 10.1177/19417381211056873. Epub 2021 Dec 13.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34903114 (View on PubMed)

Lim YZ, Wang Y, Estee M, Abidi J, Udaya Kumar M, Hussain SM, Wluka AE, Little CB, Cicuttini FM. Metformin as a potential disease-modifying drug in osteoarthritis: a systematic review of pre-clinical and human studies. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2022 Nov;30(11):1434-1442. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2022.05.005. Epub 2022 May 18.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 35597372 (View on PubMed)

Wang Y, Hussain SM, Wluka AE, Lim YZ, Abram F, Pelletier JP, Martel-Pelletier J, Cicuttini FM. Association between metformin use and disease progression in obese people with knee osteoarthritis: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative-a prospective cohort study. Arthritis Res Ther. 2019 May 24;21(1):127. doi: 10.1186/s13075-019-1915-x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31126352 (View on PubMed)

Adams D, Logerstedt DS, Hunter-Giordano A, Axe MJ, Snyder-Mackler L. Current concepts for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a criterion-based rehabilitation progression. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2012 Jul;42(7):601-14. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2012.3871. Epub 2012 Mar 8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22402434 (View on PubMed)

Jacobs CA, Jones MH, Collins JE, Waddell LM, Li X, Winalski CS, Pietrosimone B, Kraus VB, Otero M, Wellsandt E, Schmitt LC, Spindler KP, Anderson DD, Rodeo SA, Magnussen RA, Wolf BR, Hart JM, Stone AV, Conley CE, Golightly YM, Myer GD, Snyder-Mackler L, Lotz MK, Kim JS, McLeod MM, Huebner JL, Lisee C, Selzer F, Katz JN, Long K, Frier KC, Betensky DJ, Felson DT, Losina E; for PIKASO Team. The PIKASO trial (Preventing Injured Knees from Osteoarthritis: Severity Outcomes): Rationale and design features for a randomized controlled trial. Osteoarthr Cartil Open. 2024 Dec 23;7(1):100563. doi: 10.1016/j.ocarto.2024.100563. eCollection 2025 Mar.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 39867299 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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2023P002573

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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