• Peter Cisár, Richard Jány, Iweta Waczulíková, Katarína Sumegová, Jana Muchová, Jozef Vojtassák, Zdenka Duraćková, Miroslav Lisý, and Peter Rohdewald.
• 2nd Department of Orthopaedics of the Comenius University School of Medicine, University Hospital Ruzinov, Ruzinovská 6, 82606 Bratislava, Slovakia.
• Phytother Res. 2008 Aug 1; 22 (8): 1087-92.

ObjectiveThe safe and efficacious use of Pycnogenol (French maritime pine bark extract) in other inflammatory diseases prompted this study of its antiinflammatory effects in patients with osteoarthritis (OA). The aim of the study was to evaluate whether Pycnogenol reduces the symptoms of OA in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomly allocated trial with patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis stages I and II.Methods100 patients were treated for 3 months either by 150 mg Pycnogenol per day at meals or by placebo. Patients had to report any change of use of previously prescribed antiinflammatory medication during the study period. Patients filled the Western Ontario and Mc Masters University (WOMAC) questionnaire for osteoarthritis every 2 weeks and evaluated weekly pain symptoms using a visual analogue scale for pain intensity.ResultsFollowing treatment with Pycnogenol patients reported an improvement of WOMAC index (p < 0.05), and a significant alleviation of pain by visual analogue scale (p < 0.04), the placebo had no effect. The use of analgesics diminished in the verum group but increased under the placebo. Treatment with Pycnogenol was well tolerated.ConclusionResults show that Pycnogenol in patients with mild to moderate OA improves symptoms and is able to spare NSAIDs.

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