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NCT Number: NCT07347054

Clinical Study of Myofascial Trigger Points(MTrPs) Injection in the Treatment of Shoulder Osteoarthritis(OA)

Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) is a common disease in China, with a high incidence among the elderly, and has a significant impact on patients' quality of life. Shoulder osteoarthritis is a common type of CMP. Currently, both domestic and international studies have confirmed that glucocorticoid injection at myofascial trigger points(MTrPs) can alleviate patients' pain symptoms. MTrPs injection is safe and easy to operate, and can improve the clinical management efficiency of patients with shoulder osteoarthritis. Therefore, we designed a prospective, randomized controlled, blinded outcome, non-inferiority study to compare the long-term clinical efficacy of glucocorticoid injection at myofascial trigger points and complex intra-articular injection in treating shoulder osteoarthritis. Patients will be randomly divided into two groups and receive either glucocorticoid injection at MTrPs or joint cavities. After treatment, patients will be followed up for 2 years. Their NRS scores, WOMAC scores, Patient Global Impression of Change(PGIC) scale, and adverse reactions will be recorded at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks. If the results indicate that the clinical efficacy of myofascial trigger point injection for shoulder osteoarthritis is not inferior to that of injection at intra-articular injection, it will provide a safe and simple treatment option that is easy to promote for patients who do not respond to conservative treatment.

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Key information

Conditions

Myofascial Trigger Points Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Shoulder Osteoarthritis

Age range

45 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Beijing Tiantan Hospital

Beijing, Beijing Municipality, 100070, China

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Fang Luo

CONTACT

[email protected]

+86 13611326978

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Diagnosis of shoulder osteoarthritis with radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 1-4) confirmed by at least two orthopedic surgeons, pain specialists, or general practitioners, with physical examination confirming at least one myofascial trigger point;
  • Disease duration exceeding 3 months;
  • Age ≥ 45 years;
  • Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) score ≥ 3 points despite prior conservative pharmacological treatment;
  • Signed informed consent form.

Exclusion criteria

  • History of allergy to trial medications such as corticosteroids;
  • Alcohol abuse; long-term use of opioids (exceeding 2 weeks or more than 3 days per week for over 1 month); suspected use of sedative or analgesic medications; patients on long-term steroid therapy;
  • Severe neurological disorders, significant hepatic or renal dysfunction, heart failure, coagulation abnormalities, gastric ulcer, diabetes, inflammatory rheumatic diseases, etc.;
  • Intra-articular injection within the past 6 months or planned joint replacement surgery;
  • Inability to use pain assessment scales;
  • Presence of local or systemic infection;
  • Pregnant or lactating patients.

Treatment and study plan

Joint Cavity Injection

Procedure

Patients in the intra-articular injection group will receive an intra-articular shoulder injection via an anterolateral approach. The injection solution is prepared using 7 mL of 1% lidocaine and 1 mL of triamcinolone acetonide (40 mg/mL).

MTrPs Injection

Procedure

The volume of infiltration solution is determined by the number of trigger points, with each trigger point receiving 1 mL of injection volume. The injection solution is prepared by combining 1 mL of triamcinolone acetonide (40 mg/mL), lidocaine, and normal saline, resulting in a final lidocaine concentration of 1%. A 25-gauge needle is used to inject perpendicular to the skin surface at the selected tender points, with the solution administered as a single bolus into each tender point within 10 seconds.

Primary outcomes

  1. NRS pain scores

    Time frame: at the 4-weeks

    The pain intensity of the shoulder will be measured based on NRS, where 0 represents no pain and 10 represents worst pain imaginable.

Secondary outcomes

  1. NRS pain scores

    Time frame: at the 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks

    The pain intensity of the shoudler will be measured based on NRS, where 0 represents no pain and 10 represents worst pain imaginable.

  2. WOMAC scores

    Time frame: at the 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks

    The WOMAC(Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) is a standardized instrument specifically designed to assess symptoms and function in patients with shoulder osteoarthritis. It comprises three dimensions with a total of 24 items: pain (5 items), stiffness (2 items), and physical function in daily activities (17 items). It utilizes a Likert scale (0-4 points, 0 = no symptoms), with a total score range of 0-96 points (or standardized to 0-100 points). Higher scores indicate greater functional impairment.

  3. The Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) scale

    Time frame: at the 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks

    The Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) scale is a patient-rated instrument used to evaluate overall change in status following treatment. It employs a 7-point Likert scale (1 = "very much worse" to 7 = "very much improved"), focusing on the patient's subjective perception of symptoms, function, and quality of life. The evaluation criterion defines a score of 5 or higher as indicative of "improvement" (mild/moderate/marked), a score of 4 as "no change," and scores of 3 or below as "worsening."

  4. Adverse Reactions

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year

    Any systemic adverse reactions related to corticosteroids such as hyperglycemic reactions, infection at the puncture site, and intra-articular infection.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Fang Luo

CONTACT

[email protected]

+86 13611326978

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Beijing Tiantan Hospital

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Clinical Study of Myofascial Trigger Points(MTrPs) Injection in the Treatment of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain(CMP), Chronic Migraine and Cervicogenic Headache

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2027
First posted
Jan 16, 2026
Registry last updated
Jan 16, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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