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RecruitingNCT05912153Updated Feb 27, 2026

SPECT-CT vs MRI for the Diagnosis of Osteoarthritis in the Foot and Ankle

An observational study in Osteoarthritis Ankle and Osteoarthritis, sponsored by Martini Hospital Groningen. Recruiting at 1 site in Netherlands. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-02-27.

Sponsored by Martini Hospital Groningen · Observational

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Jul 2023; still recruiting 3 years 4 months later.
Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
132
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The diagnose of symptomatic osteoarthritis in the ankle, mid- and hind foot remains challenging. There is no gold standard for the work-up and various hospitals use different protocols. Current literature shows a promising role for SPECT-CT imaging in ankle, hind- and midfoot OA. In a previous study investigating the role of SPECT-CT in a reproducible group we have observed a change in diagnosis in 53% when SPECT-CT data was added to the data of conventional workup alone. In 26% of patients addition of SPECT-CT data resulted in change of the original treatment plan. To our knowledge no prospective studies are available on this subject for both SPECT-CT and MRI. In our clinic both SPECT-CT and MRI are used in the work-up for patients with ankle, hind- and midfoot pain. Although we experience good result with SPECT-CT, MRI might be able to detect symptomatic OA as well. Moreover MRI provide more information about soft tissue and is less harmful for the patient in comparison to SPECT-CT. The aim of this study is to determine the diagnostic performance of SPECT-CT and MRI when used routinely in patients with symptomatic OA of the ankle, hind- and midfoot.

Read the detailed description

Objective: The objective is to determine diagnostic performance of SPECT-CT and MRI when used routinely in patients with symptomatic OA of the ankle, hind- and midfoot.

Study design: Prospective cohort study.

Study population: All patients ≥18years old, referred to the Martini Hospital Groningen department of Orthopedic surgery with suspected symptomatic osteoarthritis of the foot and ankle and rest pain of NRS ≥4.

Main study parameters/endpoints: Main parameters will be the diagnostic performance (a.o. sensitivity and specificity, positive and negative predictive value)of SPECT-CT and MRI.

The standard work up consist of questionnaires, detailed physical examination, conventional radiographic, MRI, SPECT-CT imaging and ultrasound guided injections. There are no additional risks for participating in this study compared to current standardised hospital workup.

02

Conditions studied

  • Osteoarthritis Ankle
  • Osteoarthritis

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Keywords

  • SPECT/CT
  • MRI
  • osteoarthritis
  • Foot and/or Ankle
03

In context

Osteoarthritis

2,974 studies on the registry are indexed under Osteoarthritis; 438 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 132 is above the median of 100 across 601 observational studies indexed under Osteoarthritis.

Browse Osteoarthritis studies →

Lead sponsor

Martini Hospital Groningen is the lead sponsor of 14 studies on the registry; 4 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Eligible patients subjects will be all patients referred to the Martini Hospital Groningen with suspected OA of the foot and ankle meeting our inclusion criteria. In total 369 patients will be included. A sample of two months showed that 68 new eligible patients were presented at the outpatient clinic with a prevelence of OA in 85%. We assume that at least 50% of the eligible patients are willing to participate in this study, so it is expected that within 24-30 months all patients can be recruited.

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Suspected symptomatic ankle, hind- or midfoot OA
  • Age ≥ 18 years
  • Average NRS ≥4 over the past week.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • for surgery
  • Contraindication for SPECT-CT or MRI
  • Contraindication for intra-articular injections
  • Isolated forefoot pathology
  • Fracture, ligamentous or tendon injury of the ankle, hind- and/or midfoot trauma within one year before presentation
  • History of neurological disease
  • History of foot and/or ankle surgery (affected side)
  • Inability to read and understand the written information
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(2)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
132 participants (estimated)
Target follow-up
1 Year
Patient registry
Yes

Interventions

  • Diagnostic testSPECT/CT

    SPECT/CT of the foot and ankle

  • Diagnostic testMRI

    MRI of the foot and ankle

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Diagnostic accuracy of SPECT/CT and MRI

    Primary objective is to determine overall diagnostic performance (in terms of sensitivity + specificity, positive and negative predictive values, positive and negative likelihood ratios, and diagnostic odds ratio) of SPECT-CT and MRI for diagnosing symptomatic OA in the ankle, hind- and midfoot.

    Time frame: 1 year

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — Only deidentified data will be available upon reasonable written request in conjunction with appropriate data use agreement.

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Started Jul 2023 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2026, 40 months after the start.

Of 146 non-industry observational studies under Osteoarthritis, half reached primary completion within 36 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 12 and three quarters within 97. This study's planned 40 months is above that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 228 studies reached it within 57 months; a quarter within 21 and three quarters within 141.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Jun 12, 2023
First posted
Jun 22, 2023
StartActual
Jul 4, 2023
Primary completionEst.
Dec 1, 2026
CompletionEst.
Dec 2027
Last update
Feb 27, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 27, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05912153
Lead sponsor
Martini Hospital Groningen
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jun 22, 2023
Start date
Jul 4, 2023
Primary completion
Dec 1, 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Feb 27, 2026

Study contacts

Arthur van Hasselt, MD
Contact
a.vanHasselt@mzh.nl
0031646345384
Astrid de Vries, dr
Contact
A.deVries3@mzh.nl
Tom van Raaij, MD/PhD
principal investigator · Martini Ziekenhuis

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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