Subgroup analyses of the effectiveness of oral glucosamine for knee and hip osteoarthritis: a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis from the OA trial bank

Runhaar J, Rozendaal RM, van Middelkoop M, et al. · Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases

No clinically relevant effect of glucosamine on pain or function versus placebo overall, and no subgroup (by pain severity, BMI, inflammation, radiographic grade) could be identified that did benefit.

Population

Individual patient data from 6 placebo-controlled glucosamine trials, knee or hip OA

Intervention

Oral glucosamine (any preparation)

Comparator

Placebo

Limitations

Industry-held datasets from some positive trials were not made available to the consortium, so the analysis under-represents the Rottapharm sulfate trials.