The European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO) treatment algorithm for the management of knee osteoarthritis (OA), published in December 2014, provides practical guidance for the prioritization of interventions. This current paper represents an assessment and endorsement of the algorithm by Russian experts in OA for use in Russian clinical practice, with the aim of providing easy-to-follow advice on how to establish a treatment flow in patients with knee OA, in support of the clinicians’ individualized assessment of the patient. Medications recommended by the ESCEO algorithm are available in Russia. In step 1, background maintenance therapy with symptomatic slow-acting drugs for osteoarthritis (SYSADOA) is advised, for which high-quality evidence is provided only for the formulations of patented crystalline glucosamine sulphate (pCGS) (Rottapharm/Meda) and prescription chondroitin sulfate. Paracetamol may be added for rescue analgesia only, due to limited efficacy and increasing safety signals. Topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may provide additional symptomatic treatment with the same degree of efficacy as oral NSAIDs but without the systemic safety concerns. To be effective, topical NSAIDs must have high bioavailability, and among NSAIDs molecules like etofenamate have high absorption and bioavailability alongside evidence for accumulation in synovial tissues. Oral NSAIDs maintain a central role in step 2 advanced management of persistent symptoms. However, oral NSAIDs are highly heterogeneous in terms of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular safety profile, and patient stratification with careful treatment selection is advocated to maximize the risk: benefit ratio. Intra-articular hyaluronic acid as a next step provides sustained clinical benefit with effects lasting up to 6 months after a short-course of weekly injections. As a last step before surgery, the slow titration of sustained-release tramadol, a weak opioid, affords sustained analgesia with improved tolerability.
Objective: to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of amtolmetin guacil (AMG; Niselat®, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd, India) versus previous therapy with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and signs of dyspepsia.Subjects and methods. The open-label observational study included 220 patients aged 30–65 years who suffered from knee OA and intense pain during NSAID intake and had symptoms of dyspepsia in the absence of contraindications to the use of AMG. Among the comorbidities that generally occurred in 68% of the patients, there was a preponderance of hypertension (42%), lower extremity varicose veins (6.4%), and diabetes mellitus (6%). Treatment efficacy was evaluated using three domains of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), by also taking into account pain intensity and general health assessment on the visual analogue scale. A Severity of Dyspepsia Assessment (SODA) scale was used to rate dyspepsia.Results and discussion. AMG had a marked analgesic effect confirmed by 40% or more pain reduction that occurred in 72.5% of the patients. The high analgesic effect of AMG was confirmed by a statistically significant (p <0.001) reduction in the WOMAC index (pain and stiffness) and by an increase in functional activity. There was a significant decrease in painless and painful signs of dyspepsia, as well as positive changes in the measures “overall assessment of dyspepsia severity” (p < 0.001) and “satisfaction with treatment”. Overall assessment of AMG tolerability was only positive: excellent (33%), good (56%), and satisfactory (11%). There were no serious adverse events (AE). AE were graded as moderate and mild in 8 and 82% of cases, respectively. AE were recorded in 7.7% of the patients. Conclusion. The findings suggest that AMG offers good prospects for knee OA treatment.
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