Efficacy and tolerability of an undenatured type II collagen supplement in modulating knee osteoarthritis symptoms: a multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Lugo JP, Saiyed ZM, Lane NE · Nutrition Journal

At day 180 UC-II reduced total WOMAC more than placebo (-551 vs -414; 95% CI -232 to -42; p=0.002) and more than glucosamine+chondroitin (-551 vs -454; 95% CI -190 to -3; p=0.04). All three WOMAC subscales separated from placebo; against G+C, pain (p=0.016) and stiffness (p=0.044) separated and physical function did not. The advantage over G+C rests on the ANCOVA model alone — repeated-measures and area-under-curve analyses of the same endpoint put it at p=0.25 and p=0.26, while the advantage over placebo held under all three. G+C did not separate from placebo under any model. VAS and the Lequesne index favoured UC-II over both comparators; knee flexion and every serum and synovial biomarker were flat across groups.

Population

Adults with moderate-to-severe knee osteoarthritis, multicenter

Intervention

UC-II 40 mg/day for 180 days

Comparator

Placebo and glucosamine 1500 mg + chondroitin 1200 mg daily

Limitations

Funded by InterHealth (manufacturer) with company authors; the only placebo-controlled OA trial of UC-II of this size — needs independent replication. The trial assayed its 40 mg dose at 1.2 mg of undenatured type II collagen by a validated extraction-ELISA; the same 40 mg dose was reported as 10.4 mg in the 2013 trial from the same laboratory.