Effect of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials

• Published in: Rheumatology international 2018-08, Vol.38 (8), p.1413-1428
• Main Authors: Simental-Mendía, Mario, Sánchez-García, Adriana, Vilchez-Cavazos, Félix, Acosta-Olivo, Carlos A., Peña-Martínez, Víctor M., Simental-Mendía, Luis E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arthritis; Chondroitin sulfate; Chondroitin Sulfates - therapeutic use; Double-Blind Method; Female; Glucosamine - therapeutic use; Humans; Knee; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Meta-analysis; Osteoarthritis, Knee - drug therapy; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Rheumatology; Single-Blind Method; Systematic Review; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0172-8172; 1437-160X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00296-018-4077-2

Although glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate have showed beneficial effects on joint tissues in osteoarthritis (OA), their therapeutic use in the clinical setting is still debatable. Hence, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials was conducted to investigate the efficacy of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate on knee OA symptoms. Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were searched for randomized placebo-controlled trials evaluating the effect of orally administered glucosamine and/or chondroitin sulfate on OA symptoms using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) and/or the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model and generic inverse-variance method. Heterogeneity was tested using the I 2 statistic index. Treatments with glucosamine and chondroitin were found to significantly reduce pain in VAS [weighted mean difference (WMD) − 7.41 mm, 95% CI − 14.31, − 0.51, p  = 0.04 and WMD − 8.35 mm, 95% CI − 11.84, − 4.85, p