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HSS Journal ®
Published in: HSS Journal ® 2/2012

01-07-2012 | State of the Science

Pharmacologic Management of Osteoarthritis-Related Pain in Older Adults

A Review Shows that Many Drug Therapies Provide Small-to-Modest Pain Relief

Authors: M. Carrington Reid, MD, PhD, Rouzi Shengelia, MD, Samantha J. Parker, AB

Published in: HSS Journal ® | Issue 2/2012

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Overview:

Because pain is a common and debilitating symptom of osteoarthritis in older adults, the authors reviewed data on the efficacy and safety of commonly used oral, topical, and intraarticular drug therapies in this population. A search of several databases found that most studies have focused on knee osteoarthritis and reported only short-term outcomes. Also, treatment efficacy was found to vary by drug class; the smallest effect was observed with acetaminophen and the largest with opioids and viscosupplements. Acetaminophen and topical agents had the best safety profiles, whereas oral nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and opioids had the worst. Little data were available on patients ages 75 years old and older and on patients from diverse racial and ethnic groups. Most drug therapies gave mild-to-moderate pain relief; their long-term safety and efficacy and their effects in diverse populations (particularly older adults) remain undetermined.
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Metadata
Title
Pharmacologic Management of Osteoarthritis-Related Pain in Older Adults
A Review Shows that Many Drug Therapies Provide Small-to-Modest Pain Relief
Authors
M. Carrington Reid, MD, PhD
Rouzi Shengelia, MD
Samantha J. Parker, AB
Publication date
01-07-2012
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
HSS Journal ® / Issue 2/2012
Print ISSN: 1556-3316
Electronic ISSN: 1556-3324
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11420-012-9273-0

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