Runhaar J, et al. – The effectiveness of oral glucosamine was examined in patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA) in terms of baseline pain severity, body mass index (BMI), sex, structural abnormalities and presence of inflammation. The researchers found no good evidence regarding the use of glucosamine for hip or knee OA according to baseline pain severity, BMI, sex, structural abnormalities or presence of inflammation.

Methods

• After a systematic search of the literature and clinical trial registries, all randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of any oral glucosamine substance in patients with clinically or radiographically defined hip or knee OA were contacted.
• Pain, age, sex and BMI at baseline and pain as an outcome measure needed to be evaluated.

Results

• Out of 21 eligible studies, 6 (n=1663) shared their trial data with the OA Trial Bank. 
• 5 trials (all independent of industry, n=1625) compared glucosamine with placebo, representing 55% of the total number of participants in all published placebo–controlled RCTs.
• At short (3 months) and long–term (24 months) follow–up, glucosamine was no better than placebo for pain or function.
• Moreover, among the predefined subgroups, glucosamine was also no better than placebo.
• Stratification for knee OA and type of glucosamine did not alter these results.