Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis with Ketoprofen(Ketotop): A Double-blind Placebo-controlled Randomized Trial

Yoo, Bin; Choi, Seung Won; Lee, Moo Song; Moon, Hee Bom

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of ketoprofen plaster on knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis who are concomittantly treated with acetaminophen.
METHODS
Forty-three patints with knee osteoarthritis were randomized into a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to receive treatment with either placebo or ketoprofen plaster (Ketotop? applied over painful knee for 4 week. The patients were instructed to apply Ketotop%r placebo plaster to more painful knee twice daily. The response to treatment was assessed in I and 4 weeks with the use of visual analog scales (VAS) for pain and a categorical pain scale, and physician's global evaluation. All of the patients continued to receive acetaminophen concomittantly.
RESULTS
Significantly more relief of pain was noted in Ketotop treated patients than the placebo treated patients by the end of the study; after four week, Ketotop treated patients demostrated mean reductions in pain of 33%. The reduction in pain was statistically significant in Ketotop group compared with placebo group(p=0.03). According to the physician's global evaluations, 81% of the Ketotop treated patients experienced a reduction in pain after 4 weeks of treatment compared with those treated with placebo(25%o)(p=0.01). No significant adverse effect was noted except mild skin irritation in one case.
CONCLUSIONS
The application of Ketotop is a safe and effective adjunctive therapeutic modality for the relief of knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis who are treated with acetaminopen.