Outcomes: Primary outcome was change in Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) physical function score at 6 months. Other outcomes were Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scale pain score, Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey physical activity scale, and treatment success (≥ 8-point improvement in WOMAC physical function score without cross...

AIMS Osteoarthritis is the most degenerative joint disease. The aim was to investigate the effects of ultrasound using mineral water or aqua sonic gel on severity of knee pain, measured by the visual analog scale and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC). MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty women with bilateral osteoarthritis of the knee were assigned to two groups: u...

OBJECTIVE An evaluation of safety and efficacy of high molecular weight hyaluronan (HA) delivered at the time of arthroscopic debridement of the osteoarthritic knee. METHODS Thirty consecutive patients who met inclusion and exclusion criteria underwent arthroscopic debridement by a single surgeon and concomitant delivery of 6 ml/90 mg HA (Orthovisc). These patients were evaluated preoperative...

OBJECTIVE To compare the safety and efficacy of a single intra-articular (IA) injection of a new cross-linked hyaluronic acid product, Gel-200, with phosphate buffered saline (PBS, control) in a multi-center randomized controlled trial in patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. DESIGN Patients were randomized 2:1 to receive a single injection of Gel-200 or PBS, after joint ...

OBJECTIVE Advances in health measurement have led to the application of Rasch Item Response Theory (IRT) analysis (Rasch analysis) to evaluate instruments measuring health status and quality of life of patients, including the Health Assessment Questionnaire and SF-36. This study investigated the extent to which the Western Ontario MacMaster osteoarthritis questionnaire (WOMAC) satisfies the Ras...

BACKGROUND The Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) is an extension of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthrtis Index (WOMAC), the most commonly used outcome instrument for assessment of patient-relevant treatment effects in osteoarthritis. KOOS was developed for younger and/or more active patients with knee injury and knee osteoarthritis and has in previous st...

BACKGROUND Evidence on the efficacy of acupuncture for reducing the pain and dysfunction of osteoarthritis is equivocal. OBJECTIVE To determine whether acupuncture provides greater pain relief and improved function compared with sham acupuncture or education in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. DESIGN Randomized, controlled trial. SETTING Two outpatient clinics (an integrative med...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs relieve osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms but cause adverse effects. D-002, a mixture of beeswax alcohols, is effective against experimental OA. A pilot study found that D-002 (50 mg/day) for 8 weeks improves OA symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of D-002 (50 to 100 mg/day) administered for 6 weeks on OA symptoms. MET...

OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy of intraarticular (IA) injections of hyaluronic acid (HA) compared to placebo in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee; and to assess patient satisfaction with treatment relative to placebo, and whether there is a difference between a series of 3 versus 6 consecutive IA injections. METHODS We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, 2-...

BACKGROUND Currently, though pharmacological, mechanical, and surgical interventions are used, there is no known cure for osteoarthritis (OA). OBJECTIVES The main aim of the study was to assess the efficacy and safety of "TLPL/AY/03/2008", a polyherbal formulation on knee joint pain assessed on visual analogue scale (VAS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOM...