Etanercept compared to intraarticular corticosteroid injection in rheumatoid arthritis: double-blind, randomized pilot study.

Objective: To compare etanercept (anti-tumor necrosis factor-α) with intraarticular (IA) corticosteroid injections to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Patients with RA who had persistent monoarthritis received etanercept or IA corticosteroid injections. Efficacy was compared at Weeks 4 and 24.

Effect of discontinuing TNFalpha antagonist therapy in patients with remission of rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the time to relapse after tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) antagonist discontinuation in patients with remission of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Among 304 patients taking TNFalpha antagonist therapy for RA, 21 achieved a remission and were taken off the TNFalpha antagonist. Remission was defined as DAS28<2.

Hip osteoarthritis: short-term efficacy and safety of viscosupplementation by hylan G-F 20. An open-label study in 22 patients.

Unlabelled: We studied the short-term safety and efficacy of intraarticular hylan G-F 20 (Synvisc) in patients with symptomatic hip osteoarthritis.

Methods: In this open-label prospective study, patients who had hip osteoarthritis with a visual analog pain scale score greaterthan 40/100 and a Lequesne index greater than 6 received one or two intra-articular injections of hylan G-F 20 under fluoroscopic guidance. The patients were evaluated once a month.