Chondroitin sulfate decreases pain and improves knee function in patients with knee osteoarthritis, according to a recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

In the year-long study, reported in the April 2004 issue of the journal Osteoarthritis Cartilage, researchers randomized 120 patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis into two groups. One group received 800 mg chondroitin sulfate daily while the other group received a placebo for two periods of 3 months each over one year. The study authors measured the treatments success by a number of parameters and took x-rays of the subjects knees to determine disease progression. In the final analysis, 110 subjects were included.

The primary way researchers judged efficacy of the treatment was by using a scoring method known as Lequesnes algo-functional index (AFI). The higher the score on this index, the greater the extent of osteoarthritis. In the subjects treated with chondroitin, the AFI score decreased significantly by 36 percent after one year compared to 23 percent in the placebo group.

Another important benefit of the chondroitin sulfate was its effect on joint space narrowing, which occurs in osteoarthritis. In the subjects treated with chondroitin, however, x-rays showed that at month 12 there was no joint space narrowing. In the placebo-treated subjects, on the other hand, joint space width was significantly decreased, indicating that a substantial amount of narrowing had taken place.

Other measures of improvement, such as walking time, also improved in the subjects treated with chondroitin sulfate.

This study provides evidences that oral CS decreased pain and improved knee function, the researchers concluded. They added that chondroitin sulfates ability to inhibit joint space narrowing suggests further evidence of its structure-modifying properties in knee osteoarthritis.

Reference:
Uebelhart D, Malaise M, Marcolongo R, DeVathaire F, Piperno M, Mailleux E, Fioravanti A, Matoso L, Vignon E. Intermittent treatment of knee osteoarthritis with oral chondroitin sulfate: a one-year, randomized, double-blind, multicenter study versus placebo. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2004 Apr;12(4):269-76.

VRP offers chondroitin sulfate caps (500 mg) as well as Nutri-Joint, which contains chondroitin sulfate, MSM and glucosamine sulfate.

The information in this article is not intended to provide personal medical advice, which should be obtained from a medical professional, and has not been approved by the U.S. FDA.

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