Role of Collagen Derivatives in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Repair: A Systematic Scoping Review With Evidence Mapping

Honvo G, Lengelé L, Charles A, Reginster JY, Bruyère O · Rheumatology and Therapy

Its central observation, quoted verbatim: 'All in vivo preclinical studies and clinical trials, regardless of their quality, concluded on beneficial effects of collagen derivatives in OA and cartilage repair, whether used as nutritional supplement or delivered intra-articularly, and whatever the manufacturers of the products, the doses and the outcomes considered in each study.' The in vitro work went the other way: three of the four in vitro studies, all on collagen hydrolysate, concluded that hydrolysates from different sources and molecular weights were ineffective or detrimental to osteoarthritic cartilage. Concludes collagen derivatives cannot yet be recommended by large scientific societies.

Population

10,834 records screened to 41 studies — 16 preclinical, 25 clinical including 4 systematic reviews or meta-analyses

Intervention

Collagen hydrolysate and undenatured collagen, oral and intra-articular

Limitations

A scoping review with evidence mapping, not a meta-analysis — it charts the literature rather than pooling effects, so it produces no effect estimate. From Bruyère and Reginster's group in Liège, which has extensive nutraceutical-industry ties. The review itself was partly funded by Lonza Consumer Health, whose undenatured type II collagen is one of the two product classes it charts; the authors state the funder had no influence.