The efficacy and the tolerability of the new non-steroidal
antiinflammatory agent flunoxaprofen was assessed in the long-lasting management of
pain and joint motility impairment of 28 patients suffering from radiologically proven
osteoarthritis localized on the large joints (hip and knee). The patients were treated with
flunoxaprofen 200-400 mg/day per os for 2 months (18 patients) or for 4 months (10 patients) and the following variables were assessed: spontaneous diurnal and nocturnal
pain,
pain on passive motion,
pain on active motion with or without load, quality of sleep, joint motion range, intercondylar and intermalleolar straddles and gluteus-heel straddle; patients' and physician' evaluation of
flunoxaprofen efficacy. Moreover a number of clinical and laboratory controls were carried out to study the tolerability of the
drug (arterial blood pressure, heart rate, hepatic and renal function tests, haematological examination). The assessments were made before the starting of the treatment and at 15-day intervals thereafter. The results show that all variables for
pain intensity greatly and progressively improved during
flunoxaprofen treatment; the quality of sleep as well as the joint motion range improvement went along the progressive decrease in
pain intensity. None of the clinical and laboratory parameters studied showed any modification during
flunoxaprofen treatment. No side-effects were observed in any patients, either after 4 months treatment or using 400 mg/die. It is concluded that
flunoxaprofen may be considered an effective and safe non-steroidal
antiinflammatory agent in the long-lasting management of
pain and joint motility impairment of osteoarthritic patients.