Efficacy and safety of low-molecular-weight collagen peptides in knee osteoarthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Park SY, Lee SH, Kim HT, Park HJ, Kim DU, Kim SU, Heo I · Frontiers in Nutrition

One of the longer collagen trials at 180 days, and positive on its primary endpoint. WOMAC pain fell 1.90 (SD 4.14) against a 0.61 (3.97) rise on placebo, p = 0.006; physical function fell 4.10 (9.64) against a 0.71 (6.47) rise, p = 0.035; WOMAC total fell 6.24 (14.69) against 0.45 (9.08), p = 0.028.

Population

Adults aged 40-75 with knee osteoarthritis

Intervention

3,000 mg/day low-molecular-weight collagen peptides for 180 days

Comparator

Placebo

Limitations

Eighty participants split across two arms. The standard deviations are two to three times the mean changes on every endpoint, so the group means rest on wide within-group spread. Funded by NEWTREE Co., which makes the product, with two authors affiliated with NEWTREE and its subsidiary EVERSPRING; symptom scores only, with no imaging or biomarker endpoint.