Table 1.

 Characteristics of identified randomised trials of glucosamine or chondroitin for osteoarthritis of hip or knee

Study	Quality controlled preparation	Treatment duration (weeks)	Concealment adequate	Patient blinding adequate	ITT performed	Mean age (years)	% women	Symptom duration (years)	Joint affected	Pain outcome extracted	Funding Source	Time point extracted (months)
Glucosamine v placebo
Noack 199433	Yes	1-4	Unclear	Yes	No	NA	NA	≥0.5	Knee	Lequesne	Rottapharm	1
Reginster 200134	Yes	1-156	Unclear	Unclear	Yes	66	76	7.8	Knee	WOMAC pain subscale	Rottapharm	36
Pavelka 200235	Yes	1-156	Yes	Yes	Yes	62	78	10.6	Knee	Lequesne	Rottapharm	3,6, (…),36
McAlindon 200436	Yes	1-12	Yes	Yes	Yes	61	64	NA	Knee	WOMAC pain subscale	NLM and Arthritis Foundation	3
Herrero-Beaumont 200739	Yes	1-26	Yes	Yes	No	64	86	10.4	Knee	Lequesne	Rottapharm	3,6
Rozendaal 200841	Unclear	1-104	Yes	Yes	Yes	64	69	>3*	Hip	Global pain	Erasmus Medical Center Breedtestrategie	3,6, (…),24
Chondroitin v placebo
Michel 200537	Yes	1-103	Unclear	Yes	Yes	63	52	NA	Knee	WOMAC pain subscale	IBSA	24
Mazières 200738	Unclear	1-26	Unclear	Yes	Unclear	61	62	NA	Hip or knee	Pain on activity	Pierre Fabre	3,6,9
Kahan 200943	Yes	1-132	Yes	Yes	Yes	62	68	6.5	Knee	Global pain	IBSA	3,6, (…),24
Glucosamine v chondroitin v glucosamine and chondroitin combined v placebo
Clegg 200613	Yes	1-24	Yes	Yes	Yes	58	27	9.6	Knee	WOMAC pain subscale	NIH	6

NA=not available; NIH=US National Institute of Health; NLM=US National Library of Medicine.

*Duration >3 years for more than half of patients.