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Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
Osteoarthritis of the Knee Does Not Improve from
Common Treatments
Government funded study questions arthroscopic
surgery, supplements, injections
 Oct. 8, 2007 Millions of senior citizens
struggling with osteoarthritis of the knee, will be disappointed by a
new scientific review released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality concluding that evidence of benefit is lacking for many common
ways of treating this painful knee problem, including popular dietary
supplement ingredients, a common surgical procedure, and injected
preparations.
The review found that glucosamine and chondroitin,
over-the-counter dietary supplement ingredients that are used widely
because of their purported benefits to relieve knee pain caused by
osteoarthritis and improve physical functioning, appear to be no more
effective than placebos. A placebo is a harmless substance given to
selected patients in a clinical trial that looks like the real drug or
injection being studied, but which has no medical effect.
The review, which was requested and funded by
Health & Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
also failed to find convincing evidence of benefit from arthroscopic
surgery to clean the knee joint with or without removal of debris and
loose cartilage.
Published studies generally report that injections
with hyaluronan preparations (substances that are intended to improve
lubrication of the knee joint) improve scores on patient questionnaires
used to measure pain and function.
However, the evidence is uncertain because of
variation in study quality and difficulty determining whether changes in
scores translate into real clinical improvements for patients.
Millions of Americans seek relief from the pain
and reduced mobility caused by osteoarthritis of the knee, said AHRQ
Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. However, they should work with their
clinicians to decide the best course of treatment for them based on what
has and has not been proven to work.
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Fitness & Exercise for Senior Citizens
Senior Citizens Need More Exercise, Not Less, to
Avoid Osteoarthritis
Study of physical activity impact on knee joint
says exercise for heart is what's needed for knee
 Sept. 8, 2007 Physical exercise that is good for
the heart, is also good for the older persons knee, says research
published in the October 2007 issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
Sporting events for senior citizens sometimes looks like a gathering of
mechanical robots, with all the gear and wrapping around their knees and
other joints. It is osteoarthritis, however, that too often causes
disability among those over age 50 but this study says vigorous exercise
may prevent the problem.
Read more...
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Osteoarthritis is a widespread, costly disease that
wears away the cartilage cushioning the knee joint, causing pain and
reducing mobility.
Arthritic diseases, which include osteoarthritis,
affect an estimated 46 million people in the United States, and at age
64 and older, one in 10 Americans is estimated to have osteoarthritis of
the knee. Osteoarthritis and related arthritic conditions cost more
than $81 billion a year in medical care, lost wages, and other expenses.
The authors, who were led by David J. Samson, M.S.,
associate director of the AHRQ-supported Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Association Evidence-based Practice Center in Chicago, reviewed findings
from 53 randomized clinical trials of glucosamine, chrondroitin, and
injections with hyaluronan preparations and 23 studies of arthroscopy.
The review scrutinized individual studies concerned
with these treatments effects as well as meta-analyses that analyzed
the combined evidence of groups of studies.
According to authors, better quality randomized
clinical trials are needed to clarify whether these treatments are
beneficial.
However, given the aging of the population and
increasing prevalence of obesity both risk factors for osteoarthritis
of the knee research on new approaches to prevention and treatment of
osteoarthritis of the knee should be a high priority, they conclude
For a copy of Treatment of Primary and Secondary
Osteoarthritis of the Knee, go to
http://www.ahrq.gov/downloads/pub/evidence/pdf/oaknee/oaknee.pdf
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