title: [How to evaluate the long-term course of osteoarthritis. Tests for trials of fundamental treatments (spine excluded)].
abstract: The best assessment tests for long term trials on osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip and knee are the following, in order of relevance value (consensus of french experts): 1) the loss of joint space thickness on successive radiographies; 2, 3) the indices of the severity for OA of the hip and knee; the investigator's overall opinion; 4) the patient's overall opinion (visual analogue scale of handicap); 5, 6, 7) the pain level (visual analogue scale); the time for going up and down a standard flight of stairs and the time of pain in this distance; the limitation of two articular movements; 8) the increase of either analgesics or NSAIDs consumption; 9) concerning OA of fingers, the number of joints newly involved on successive radiographies. At present, only the radiological tests 1 and 9 are validated. The clinical tests 2 to 8, valuable for short term trials, have yet to be validated for long term follow-up. Recommended duration of trials is three years. A rigorous organisation is necessary to avoid erroneous inclusions: all data recorded in the pre-inclusion visit have to be checked by the principal investigator. Since we have not yet a validated chondroprotective agent as a reference drug, the trial must be randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, parallel group study.
authors.affiliation: Service de Rhumatologie, Hôpital Léopold-Bellan, Paris.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lequesne
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dougados
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abiteboul
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bontoux
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bouvenot
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chicheportiche
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Dreiser
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dropsy
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maheu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mazières
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002357:Cartilage Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011859:Radiography; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
vernacular_title: Comment évaluer l'évolution de l'arthrose à long terme. Tests pour les essais de traitements de fond (rachis exclu).