Table 1.
Characteristics of randomised controlled trials comparing topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with placebo or oral NSAIDs in patients with osteoarthritis
| Trial | Design | Site of osteoarthritis | Duration (weeks) | Mean (SD) age (years) | No male/No female | % baseline pain score* | Active treatment (No in group) | Control (No in group) | Effect size (SE) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topical NSAIDs versus placebo: | |||||||||
| Algozziine 198234 | Double blind crossover | Knee | 1, 1, and 1 | 62 (8) | 24/2 | NA | Salicylate four times daily (26) | Placebo (26) | NA |
| Bruhlmann 200335 | Double blind parallel | Knee | 2 | 64 (11) | 43/60 | 57 | Diclofenac twice daily (51) | Placebo (52) | 1.08 (0.21) |
| Dreiser 199318 | Double blind parallel | Knee | 2 | 66 (11) | 35/120 | 58 | Diclofenac three times daily (78) | Placebo (77) | 0.71 (0.17) |
| Grace 199920 | Double blind parallel | Knee | 2 | 62 (12) | 29/45 | 42 | Diclofenac (38) | Placebo (36) | 0.66 (0.24) |
| Ottillinger 200137 | Double blind parallel | Knee | 4 | 67 (8) | 54/183 | 55 | Eltenac: 3 mg three times daily (59), 9 mg three times daily (59), 30 mg three times daily (57) | Placebo (59), placebo (59), placebo (59) | −0.04 (0.18), 0.20 (0.18), 0.14 (0.19) |
| Roth 199538 | Double blind parallel | Hip, knee, hand | 2 | 67 (NA) | 33/86 | 80 | Diclofenac four times daily (59) | Placebo (60) | 0.31 (0.18) |
| Rothacker 199439 | Double blind crossover | Hand | 3 hours, 1 week, and 3 hours | 66 (8) | 8/41 | NA | Salicylate (50) | Placebo (50) | NA |
| Rothacker 199822 | Double blind parallel | Hand | 2 hours | 61 (11) | 21/60 | 85 | Salicylate twice daily (41) | Placebo (40) | 0.77 (0.23) |
| Rovensky 200123 | Double blind parallel | Knee | 1 | 63 (8) | 26/74 | 32 | Ibuprofen three times daily (50) | Placebo (50) | 0.64 (0.20) |
| Topical NSAIDs versus oral NSAIDs or placebo: | |||||||||
| Shackel 199740 | Double blind parallel | Hip, knee | 4 | 61 (12) | 52/64 | 33 | Salicylate twice daily (58) | Placebo (58) | 0.03 (0.19) |
| Sandelin 199724 | Double blind parallel | Knee | 4 | 61 (8) | 104/177 | 38 | Eltenac three times daily (126) | Placebo (82) | −0.05 (0.14) |
| Eltenac three times daily (126) | Diclofenac twice daily (82) | −0.10 (0.14) | |||||||
| Topical NSAIDs versus oral NSAIDs: | |||||||||
| Dickson 199136 | Double blind parallel | Knee | 4 | 62 (12) | 80/155 | 63 | Piroxicam three times daily (117) | Ibuprofen three times daily (118) | NA |
| Zacher 200126 | Double blind parallel | Hand | 3 | 62 (9) | 38/283 | 50 | Diclofenac (165) | Ibuprofen three times daily (156) | −0.05 (0.11) |
NA=not available.
*
Percentage of baseline pain score relative to maximum pain score: 0%=no pain, 50%=moderate pain, 100%=severe pain.