Chondroitin sulphate reduces both cartilage volume loss and bone marrow lesions in knee osteoarthritis patients starting as early as 6 months after initiation of therapy: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study using MRI.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the effect of chondroitin sulphate (CS) treatment on cartilage volume loss, subchondral bone marrow lesions (BML), synovitis and disease symptoms in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

METHODS:

In this pilot multicentre, randomised, double-blind, controlled trial in primary knee OA, 69 patients with clinical signs of synovitis were randomised to receive CS 800 mg or placebo once daily for 6 months followed by an open-label phase of 6 months in which patients in both groups received CS 800 mg once daily. Cartilage volume and BML were assessed by MRI at baseline and at 6 and 12 months; synovial membrane thickness was assessed at baseline and at 6 months.

RESULTS:

The CS group showed significantly less cartilage volume loss than the placebo group as early as 6 months for the global knee (p=0.030), lateral compartment (p=0.015) and tibial plateaus (p=0.002), with significance persisting at 12 months. Significantly lower BML scores were found for the CS group at 12 months in the lateral compartment (p=0.035) and the lateral femoral condyle (p=0.044). Disease symptoms were similar between the two groups.

CONCLUSION:

CS treatment significantly reduced the cartilage volume loss in knee OA starting at 6 months of treatment, and BML at 12 months. These findings suggest a joint structure protective effect of CS and provide new in vivo information on its mode of action in knee OA.

• Authors: Lukas Martin Wildi, Jean-Pierre Raynauld, Johanne Martel-Pelletier, André Beaulieu, Louis Bessette, Frédéric Morin, François Abram, Marc Dorais, Jean-Pierre Pelletier
• Journal: Annals of the rheumatic diseases (Ann Rheum Dis) Vol. 70 Issue 6 Pg. 982-9 (Jun 2011) ISSN: 1468-2060 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 21367761 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
• Chondroitin Sulfates

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal (therapeutic use)
• Bone Marrow Diseases (drug therapy, etiology)
• Cartilage, Articular (pathology)
• Chondroitin Sulfates (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Drug Therapy, Combination
• Epidemiologic Methods
• Female
• Humans
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Male
• Medication Adherence
• Middle Aged
• Osteoarthritis, Knee (complications, drug therapy, pathology)
• Patient Selection
• Synovial Membrane (pathology)
• Synovitis (drug therapy, etiology)
• Treatment Outcome