title: Comparison of the antiinflammatory efficacy of chondroitin sulfate and diclofenac sodium in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the clinical efficacy of chondroitin sulfate (CS) in comparison with the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac sodium (DS) in a medium/longterm clinical study in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a randomized, multicenter, double blind, double dummy study. 146 patients with knee OA were recruited into 2 groups. During the first month, patients in the NSAID group were treated with 3 x 50 mg DS tablets/day and 3 x 400 mg placebo (for CS) sachets; from Month 2 to Month 3, patients were given placebo sachets alone. In the CS group, patients were treated with 3 x 50 mg placebo (for diclofenac) tablets/day and 3 x 400 mg CS sachets/day during the first month; from Month 2 to Month 3, these patients received only CS sachets. Both groups were treated with 3 x 400 mg placebo sachets from Month 4 to Month 6. Clinical efficacy was evaluated by assessing the Lequesne Index, spontaneous pain (using the Huskisson visual analog scale), pain on load (using a 4 point ordinal scale), and paracetamol consumption.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients treated with the NSAID showed prompt and plain reduction of clinical symptoms, which, however, reappeared after the end of treatment; in the CS group, the therapeutic response appeared later in time but lasted for up to 3 months after the end of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CS seems to have slow but gradually increasing clinical activity in OA; these benefits last for a long period after the end of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morreale
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manopulo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galati
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boccanera
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saponati
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bocchi
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004008:Diclofenac / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D004008:Diclofenac; D000082:Acetaminophen; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates