Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug or Glucosamine Reduced Pain and Improved Muscle Strength With Resistance Training in a Randomized Controlled Trial of Knee Osteoarthritis Patients

Abstract

Petersen SG, Beyer N, Hansen M, Holm L, Aagaard P, Mackey AL, Kjaer M. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug or glucosamine reduced pain and improved muscle strength with resistance training in a randomized controlled trial of knee osteoarthritis patients. Objectives To investigate the effect of 12 weeks of strength training in combination with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), glucosamine, or placebo on muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), strength (primary outcome parameters), and function, power, pain, and satellite cell number (secondary outcome parameters) in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Design Double-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Setting Hospital. Participants Patients (N=36; 20 women, 16 men; age range, 50–70y) with bilateral tibiofemoral knee OA. A total of 181 patients were approached, and 145 were excluded. Interventions Patients were randomly assigned to treatment with the NSAID ibuprofen (n=12), glucosamine (n=12), or placebo (n=12) during 12 weeks of quadriceps muscle strength training. Main Outcome Measures Muscle CSA and strength. Results No differences between groups were observed in gains in muscle CSA. Training combined with ibuprofen increased maximal isometric strength by an additional .22Nm/kg (95% confidence interval [CI], .01–.42; P=.04), maximal eccentric muscle strength by .38Nm/kg (95% CI, .05–.70; P=.02), and eccentric muscle work by .27J/kg (95% CI, .01–.53; P=.04) in comparison with placebo. Training combined with glucosamine increased maximal concentric muscle work by an additional .24J/kg versus placebo (95% CI, .06–.42; P=.01). Conclusions In patients with knee OA, NSAID or glucosamine administration during a 12-week strength-training program did not improve muscle mass gain, but improved maximal muscle strength gain in comparison with treatment with placebo. However, we do not find that the benefits are large enough to justify taking NSAIDs or glucosamine.