Table 4.

Differences in ACR/AF, OARSI and VA/DoD recommendations for the non-surgical management of hip and knee OA.

Level of stage	Intervention	ACR/AF	OARSI	VA/DoD
First-line treatment	Paracetamol	Conditional recommendation for knee and hip OA	Conditional recommendation against the use for knee and hip OA	Weak recommendation for use in the knee and hip OA
	SYSADOAs	Strong recommendation against the use of glucosamine and chondroitin formulations	Strong advice against the use of glucosamine and chondroitin formulations	Neither recommends for nor against it
	Topical capsaicin	Conditional recommendation for the use in knee OA	Conditional recommendation against the use in knee OA	Weak recommendation for the use in knee OA
Treatments in persistent symptoms	Opioids	Conditional recommendation for the use of tramadol, and against the use of non-tramadol medications for persistent knee and hip OA	Conditional recommendation against the use of opioids in the persistent knee and hip OA	Weak recommendation against the use of opioids in hip and knee OA with persistent symptoms
	Duloxetine	Conditional recommendation for the use of duloxetine in the persistent knee and hip OA	Conditional recommendation for the use of duloxetine in persistent knee OA and against the use in persistent hip OA	Weak recommendation for the use of duloxetine in hip and knee OA with persistent symptoms
	IAHA	Conditional recommendation against the use in hip and knee OA	Conditional recommendation for the use in knee OA. Conditional recommendation against the use in hip OA.	Weak recommendation for the use in knee OA and weak recommendation against the use in hip OA

SYSADOAs, symptomatic slow-acting drugs for osteoarthritis.