THERAPEUTICS
General practitioners’ advice to use topical rather than oral ibuprofen resulted in equivalent effects on chronic knee pain
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
M Underwood
Professor M Underwood, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; M.Underwood@warwick.ac.uk
STUDY DESIGN
randomised controlled trial (Topical or Oral Ibuprofen [TOIB]).
concealed.*
blinded (data collectors).*
STUDY QUESTION
26 general practices in the UK.
282 patients 
50 years of age (mean age 63 y, 54% women) with knee pain (97% with osteoarthritis). Exclusion criteria included history of, or awaiting, knee replacement, and recent knee injury.
the patient’s general practitioner prescribed or recommended preferential use of over-the-counter topical ibuprofen, applied according to manufacturer’s instructions (eg, 0.5 g per knee up to 3 times/d, equivalent to 75 mg/d of ibuprofen using a 5% preparation) (n = 138), or oral ibuprofen, up to 1.2 g/day (n = 144). Increased dose, additional painkillers, or alternate non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were allowed, but maintaining the allocated route was encouraged.
primary outcomes were the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score and adverse effects. The study had >80% power
Cristian B
icu
Colentina Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
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Pain (neurology)
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Pain (anaesthesia)
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Degenerative joint disease
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Musculoskeletal syndromes
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Osteoarthritis
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