Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is one of the main causes of mobility decline in the elderly. Non-surgical treatments such as administration of supplements to strengthen the joint cartilage matrix have become popular not only for pain relief but also for joint preservation. Glucosamine has been used in many countries based on the increasing evidence of its effectiveness for OA. Although there are many previous studies and systematic reviews, the findings vary and different conclusions have been drawn. We aimed to review recent randomized controlled trials on glucosamine for knee OA to reveal up-to-date findings about this supplement. We also performed a meta-analysis of some of the outcomes to overcome the unsolved bias in each study. Eighteen articles written between 2003 and 2016 were analyzed. Many used visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), which were assessed in our meta-analysis. We found a marginally favorable effect of glucosamine on VAS pain scores. The effect on knee function, as measured by the WOMAC, was small and not significant. A newly established knee OA scale, the Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure (JKOM), is commonly used in Japan. Although the number of subjects was small, the JKOM meta-analysis indicated that glucosamine is superior to a placebo in alleviating knee OA symptoms. Given this, we concluded that glucosamine has the potential to alleviate knee OA pain. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effect of glucosamine on knee function and joint preservation, as well as to evaluate the combined effect with other components, such as chondroitin.
Highlights
Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the main health problems in middle-aged and elderly populations because of its high prevalence and effect on activities of daily living
Yoshimura reported that people with symptomatic knee OA have a significantly lower physical quality of life (QOL) than those without it [3]
The authors searched for articles published as original studies, which appeared to provide useful information with regard to our research question, BIn patients with knee osteoarthritis, what are the effects of glucosamine on pain and function?^
Summary
Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the main health problems in middle-aged and elderly populations because of its high prevalence and effect on activities of daily living. Recent surveys have reported that the prevalence of symptomatic knee OA is 12% in Americans older than 25 [1] and that radiographic changes 2) in knee joints are seen in 42.6% of men and 62.4% of women aged older than 40 in Japan [2]. Yoshimura reported that people with symptomatic knee OA have a significantly lower physical quality of life (QOL) than those without it [3]. With the global aging population, the medical cost of these disorders has a large effect on health policies in each country
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