Chondroitin sulfate in the management of hip and knee osteoarthritis: an overview

This chapter discusses the symptomatic/structural efficacy and the tolerance of the chondroitin sulfate (CS) in the treatment of knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA) through a meta‐analysis of randomized clinical trials. It presents a study in which a search for any randomized, double‐blind, and placebo (PBO)‐controlled prospective trial, whose aim was to assess the symptomatic and/or structural activity of oral CS in the treatment of knee or hip OA, was performed through data sources and then through a manual search of the reference section of all articles retrieved by the primary search. This search was limited to articles published in extenso in peer‐reviewed journals between 1980 and 2005, in English or French languages, presenting sufficient data and lasting more than 4 weeks. A modest effect of the CS on the relief of pain and on the improvement of the joint function has been found. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting the knee in 30% and the hip in 4–10% of people aged 65 and over. Even if roughly 50% of them only have signs and symptoms, the number of adults clinically affected by this disease is considerable especially in the elderly and is increasing with the increasing average age in the populations.