ACR Convergence 2026: Do Not Miss – Osteoarthritis & Osteoporosis

Marie Binvignat

Marie is a rheumatology and research fellow in Paris, France. Her clinical and research interests include osteoarthritis, computational immunology, and machine learning. She completed a PhD in systems biology and bioinformatics between UCSF and Sorbonne University, where she developed integrative multi-omics approaches to better understand the role of the Tregs in rheumatic diseases and osteoarthritis. Marie is a member of the EMEUNET Newsletter Sub-Committee

Poster 0628| Sunday, 08.11.2026 10:30
Poster Session: Osteoporosis & Metabolic Bone Disease – Basic & Clinical Science Poster A
Presenting author: B. Kim (United States)
Title: Predictors of Osteoporosis Undertreatment Among U.S. Adults With Physician-Diagnosed Osteoporosis: NHANES 2017-2020

This cross-sectional NHANES analysis shows that nearly half of U.S. adults with physician-diagnosed osteoporosis receive no prescription therapy. Men and younger adults are more likely to go untreated, with a trend toward undertreatment among Non-Hispanic Black adults.
Oral 0871| Sunday, 08.11.2026 11:15
Oral Plenary: Plenary I (0867-0871)
Presenting author: P. Conaghan (United Kingdom)
Title: Retatrutide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis Pain and Obesity: Results From a 68-Week Phase 3 Randomized Clinical Trial

This phase 3 randomized, placebo-controlled trial (TRIUMPH-4) shows that once-weekly retatrutide, a GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon receptor triple agonist, substantially reduces knee pain and body weight in 445 adults with painful knee osteoarthritis and obesity or overweight. At week 68, WOMAC Pain scores improved by about 4.5 points with retatrutide versus 2.4 with placebo, and body weight fell by 26–29% versus 2%, with consistent benefit in patients with a BMI of 35 kg/m² or higher. Adverse events were mainly mild to moderate gastrointestinal events during dose escalation.
Oral 1925| Monday, 09.11.2026 15:45
Abstract Session: Osteoarthritis – Clinical (1922-1927)
Presenting author: S. Mylvaganam (Canada)
Title: Factors Associated with Resolution of Walking Difficulty One Year After Total Knee Arthroplasty for Knee Osteoarthritis

This prospective cohort study of 1,296 adults with knee osteoarthritis and difficulty walking before total knee arthroplasty shows that nearly 40% still report difficulty walking 12 months after surgery. Recovery depends more on biopsychosocial factors than on pre-operative pain or function: depressive symptoms and low back pain lower the odds of recovery, while social support and self-efficacy raise them. These findings support targeted co-interventions for patients less likely to regain walking ability.
Oral 1927| Monday, 09.11.2026 16:15
Abstract Session: Osteoarthritis – Clinical (1922-1927)
Presenting author: T. Schnitzer (United States)
Title: NLRP3 inhibition as a potential therapeutic approach for inflammatory knee osteoarthritis: results from a Phase II study

This phase 2 randomized, placebo-controlled trial tests DFV890, an oral NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor, in 115 adults with painful knee osteoarthritis selected for systemic and synovial inflammation. After 12 weeks, the primary pain endpoint did not reach statistical significance, but supportive analyses favored DFV890 for pain. DFV890 also reduced MRI-measured synovitis and halved hsCRP. The drug was well tolerated, which supports further study of NLRP3 inhibition as a non-NSAID approach to inflammatory osteoarthritis pain.
Oral 2820| Tuesday, 10.11.2026 09:15
Abstract Session: Osteoarthritis & Joint Biology – Basic and Translational (2815-2820)
Presenting author: M. Jeffries (United States)
Title: Gut-to-Joint Cellular Trafficking in Early Osteoarthritis: Photoconversion-Based Tracking Reveals Mucosal-Origin Cell Enrichment in Synovial Tissue

This mouse study uses photoconversion to label immune cells in the gut and mouth. It shows that some of these cells, mainly M2-like macrophages, Th2-like T cells, and mast cells, migrate to the synovium within a week of ACL rupture. Single-cell 16S sequencing (INVADE-Seq) finds that the cells carrying bacteria differ between mucosa-derived and joint-resident populations. Together, these findings point to a gut–joint immune axis in early post-traumatic osteoarthritis.
Tuesday, 10.11.2026 10:00-11:30
Congress Session – bonus
Contributors: M. Jeffries; M. Hochberg (USA)
Title: 2026 Update: ACR Guidelines for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Bonus “Do Not Miss” recommendation: a congress session on the 2026 ACR guidelines for the treatment of osteoarthritis.
Oral 2953| Wednesday, 11.11.2026 11:30
Abstract Session: Osteoporosis & Metabolic Bone Disease – Basic & Clinical Science (2953-2958)
Presenting author: J. Banford (Northern Ireland, United Kingdom)
Title: Real-World Safety and Efficacy of Romosozumab in Severe Postmenopausal Osteoporosis: A Single-Centre Experience

This real-world retrospective study of 22 postmenopausal women with severe osteoporosis and a recent major fracture shows that 12 months of romosozumab increases spine BMD by a mean of 20.5% and hip BMD by 4.7%. No cardiovascular events occurred in this carefully selected population.

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