Table 4.

Comparison of WOMAC scores after 4 weeks and changes of WOMAC scores from baseline to week 4 among patients with knee arthritis after treatment.

WOMAC rating	Flurbiprofen	Loxoprofen	Z-value	P-value *
mITT analysis†	N = 124	N = 125
Total score
Post-intervention (V4 visit)	12.5 (8.0–22.5)	16.0 (11.0–27.0)	-2.568	0.010
Value decline (baseline–V4)	23.0 (11.0–51.5)	17.0 (4.0–39.0)	2.072	0.038
Pain
Post-intervention (V4 visit)	3.0 (2.0–6.0)	4.0 (3.0–7.0)	-2.098	0.036
Value decline (baseline–V4)	4.5 (2.0–9.5)	4.0 (1.0–10.0)	0.914	0.361
Stiffness
Post-intervention (V4 visit)	0 (0–2.0)	1.0 (0–2.0)	-1.295	0.195
Value decline (baseline–V4)	2.0 (0–4.0)	2.0 (0–4.0)	0.477	0.634
Daily activity difficulty
Post-intervention (V4 visit)	8.0 (5.0–17.0)	12.0 (8.0–18.0)	-2.873	0.004
Value decline (baseline–V4)	17.5 (7.0–38.5)	12.0 (3.0–28.0)	2.404	0.016
PP analysis‡	N = 115	N = 119
Total score
Post-intervention (V4 visit)	12.0 (7.0–19.0)	15.0 (11.0–25.0)	-3.140	0.002
Value decline (baseline–V4)	25.0 (13.0–53.0)	19.0 (6.0–41.0)	2.287	0.022
Pain
Post-intervention (V4 visit)	3.0 (2.0–5.0)	4.0 (2.0–6.0)	-2.566	0.010
Value decline (baseline–V4)	5.0 (3.0–10.0)	5.0 (1.0–10.0)	1.078	0.281
Stiffness
Post-intervention (V4 visit)	0 (0–2.0)	1.0 (0–2.0)	-1.641	0.101
Value decline (baseline–V4)	2.0 (0–4.0)	2.0 (0–4.0)	0.700	0.484
Daily activity difficulty
Post-intervention (V4 visit)	8.0 (5.0–14.0)	11.0 (7.0–17.0)	-3.474	<0.001
Value decline (baseline–V4)	19.0 (9.0–40.0)	13.0 (4.0–29.0)	2.619	0.009

Data are presented as median (interquartile range). WOMAC: The Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index; mITT: Modified intention to treat; PP: Per-protocol. ^*Using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. ^†One patient without complete baseline record in the flurbiprofen cataplasms was excluded. ^‡There are 10 and 6 patients were lost to follow-up in flurbiprofen and loxoprofen groups, respectively.