S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) versus celecoxib for the treatment of osteoarthritis symptoms: a double-blind cross-over trial. [ISRCTN36233495]

Najm WI, Reinsch S, Hoehler F, Tobis JS, Harvey PW · BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

In the first month of phase 1 celecoxib produced a significantly greater reduction in pain than SAMe (p = 0.024); by the second month the two arms no longer differed. Most functional health measures improved from baseline in both arms with no separation between them, and isometric joint function improved steadily across the whole study regardless of treatment. The authors read SAMe as slower in onset and then equivalent.

Population

61 adults with knee osteoarthritis, 56 of whom completed a 16-week double-blind crossover

Intervention

S-adenosylmethionine 1,200 mg daily

Comparator

Celecoxib 200 mg daily

Limitations

Sixty-one patients, no placebo arm, and a crossover design in a condition where both arms improved throughout — which is the pattern a placebo arm exists to interpret. Full text was not retrievable.