The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation has opened a new clinic for people with knee and hand osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis.
By some estimates, osteoarthritis, or OA, affects 80% of people over age 55. OMRF physician-scientist Matlock Jeffries, M.D., a board-certified rheumatologist, is now actively seeking patients, particularly those willing to participate in research aimed at discovering better treatment options.
Osteoarthritis involves the breakdown of tissues in one or more joints, most frequently the knees, hands or hips. Anyone can get OA, but the condition becomes more common as we age, and it’s the most common cause of disability in the U.S.
“For people with late-stage OA, joint-replacement surgery is usually the last option,” said Jeffries, who leads the clinic. “More than a million joint-replacement surgeries are performed each year in the U.S., making it the top Medicare expense. The vast majority of those surgeries involve OA.”
There is no known cure for OA. Treatment involves symptom management through medication, physical therapy, and changes to diet and exercise.
“People with OA typically are treated by their primary care physician, but a rheumatologist is more knowledgeable about all the various treatment options,” Jeffries said. “Patients of our new OA clinic can expect excellent care and a dedication to study changes in their joints and blood samples. That research will lead to more precise diagnostics and treatment in the future.”
Jeffries also serves as director of OMRF’s new Arthritis Research Center, where he studies environmental factors involved with the development and progression of OA. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s College of Medicine, Jeffries joined OMRF in 2020.
He is particularly interested in the trillions of tiny organisms in the gut that comprise the microbiome. His lab recently discovered that microbiome transplantation in research models can significantly improve cartilage healing.
Separately, Jeffries has been awarded a $2 million federal grant to test a single-injection treatment aimed at stopping OA progression. With a clinical trial anticipated to begin in about three years, Jeffries will seek research volunteers among patients of the new clinic.
“Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States, and Oklahomans are more likely to be affected – and affected earlier – than the vast majority of the nation,” said OMRF Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Judith James, M.D., Ph.D. “We are excited to focus on providing clinical care, offering cutting-edge clinical trials, and advancing knowledge to combat osteoarthritis, a major cause of pain and decreased function.”
For more information or to make an appointment, call 405-271-7745 or email clinic@omrf.org.
