Arthritis Study

A Clinical Study Recruiting Arthritis Patients

Email for more information: arthritis.utah.edu.

Arthritis is a debilitating disease of the joints that severely affects one’s quality of life. Your entire joint, including the bone and cartilage, degenerates over time. It affects nearly 14 percent of adults age 25 years and older and 35 percent of adults 65+.

The Department of Orthopaedics is studying the genetics of families with severe arthritis. We plan to identify new pathways that contribute to the disease, so we can identify those with the disease earlier and develop new treatments.

Our goal with these new treatments is to prevent the onset or limit the progression of arthritis.

Do You Qualify?

A family pedigree showing genetic patterns for osteoarthritis — A family pedigree showing individuals diagnosed with arthritis (black circles and squares)We need your help! We are looking for patients and their families with severe arthritis in any of the following joints:

Hands
Feet
Hips
Shoulders
Back

Email arthritis@utah.edu
Phone 385-260-3029

Osteoarthritis in the dorsal bones of the foot

Study Process

There are several was we can collect a sample:

We can mail you the packet with the saliva collection kit, which you return to us (return postage included).
You could come for a brief visit to the U of Utah Orthopedic Clinic.
We can come to you if you have an appointment at the U of U hospital or clinics.

We don’t require anything else from you.

Genetic Research & Confidentiality

As part of the study, we will sequence your DNA (genetic research) to identify which genetic changes are responsible for the form of arthritis you have (if you are affected). If you would like, we will try to notify you of any scientific publications that result from our studies.

Privacy

Please note:

We will protect your privacy. Once we receive your sample it is assigned a random number and all identifying information is removed. Our study is for research purposes only. This means that we do not share any of your information with anyone. It does NOT get reported on any medical record, nor does it get disclosed to employers or insurance companies, etc.

a. PROCEDURES AND DISCLOSURE: Only the investigators of this study (Drs. Jurynec and Kazmers) will have access to the results of genetic testing as it is important for data analysis and interpretation of the results. Only the investigators will receive results of the genetic testing.

b. CONFIDENTIALLY: Any results from genetic testing will be kept in strict confidentially and will not be made available or disclosed to employers, insurance companies, or included in any medical record, etc.

Benefits & Results

Benefits

So what’s in it for you? We cannot promise you any benefits directly from this study; however, your participation will help us treat future patients, possibly even your genetic descendants. The information we gather from you will help us on the path to developing better treatments for arthritis.