A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of glucosamine sulphate as an analgesic in osteoarthritis of the knee.

Authors Hughes R, Carr A
Category Primary study
JournalRheumatology (Oxford, England)
Year 2002
Links Pubmed, DOI

This article is included in 8 Systematic reviews Systematic reviews (8 references) 2 Broad syntheses Broad syntheses (2 references)

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OBJECTIVES:

A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of the relative effectiveness of glucosamine sulphate and placebo in managing pain in osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.

METHODS:

Eighty patients with OA of the knee were recruited from a rheumatology out-patient clinic and received either glucosamine sulphate 1500 mg daily for 6 months or dummy placebo. The primary outcome measure was patients' global assessment of pain in the affected knee.

RESULTS:

Area under the curve analysis for the primary outcome measure showed no difference between placebo and glucosamine [mean difference 0.15 mm, 95% confidence interval (CI) -8.78 to 9.07]. The placebo response was 33%. There was a statistically significant difference between groups in knee flexion (mean difference 13 degrees, 95% CI -23.13 to -1.97), but this difference was small and could have been due to measurement error.

CONCLUSIONS:

As a symptom modifier in OA patients with a wide range of pain severities, glucosamine sulphate was no more effective than placebo.
Epistemonikos ID: 9c1373f5dbc745cad8e6552a71a5d95c2d2c007a
First added on: Jul 30, 2011