A 5-year randomized controlled, double-blind study of glycosaminoglycan polysulphuric acid complex (Rumalon) as a structure modifying therapy in osteoarthritis of the hip and knee

Pavelká K, Gatterová J, Gollerova V, Urbanová Z, Sedlácková M, Altman RD · Osteoarthritis and Cartilage

Knee joint space narrowed 0.37 ± 0.08 mm on the extract versus 0.42 ± 0.08 mm on placebo (P = 0.68); hip 0.21 ± 0.08 versus 0.22 ± 0.08 mm (P = 0.53). Lequesne index, pain on passive motion and NSAID use did not differ. Adverse effects were 14.5% versus 15%.

Population

277 patients with knee osteoarthritis and 117 with hip osteoarthritis

Intervention

Rumalon, an aqueous extract of bovine cartilage and bone marrow, 2 ml intramuscularly — ten 15-injection courses over five years

Comparator

Placebo injections on the same schedule

Limitations

A different product from Sigumir — injected rather than oral — so it bounds the class, not the capsule. Radiographic joint-space progression was slower than expected in both arms, which lowers the power to detect a difference. Written from the structured abstract, which reports both arms with means, SDs and P values; publisher full text is paywalled.