Rheumatology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
The long-term effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used to treat osteoarthritis (OA), though their long-term efficacy is uncertain. We report a comparison of the symptomatic responses to therapy with tiaprofenic acid, indomethacin and placebo over 5 yr. ⋯ NSAIDs significantly reduce overall pain over 4 weeks. This short-term responsiveness is retained, and even after several years of therapy with tiaprofenic acid pain scores increased over 2 weeks when it was changed to placebo. Our results do not show long-term benefits from the use of NSAIDs in OA and the majority of patients had persisting pain and disability despite therapy.