[The effectiveness of complex therapy using the injectable form of chondroitin sulfate and sodium hyaluronate with osteoarthritis of the knee joint].

AIM: The study on the effectiveness of complex therapy for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee joint was conducted in real clinical practice.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

The survey involved 125 patients aged fr om 50 to 70 years (25 men and 100 women) with a diagnosis of knee joint OA (the III roentgenologic Kellgren-Lawrence stage).The average age of the patients was 62±3.21, the average duration of the disease - 9.4±2.8 years. Patients were randomly assigned to three groups of 35 people, the control group had 20 patients. Group 1 patients received non - steroidal anti - inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) + Injectran(Chondroitin sulfate) 200 mg intramuscularly (I.M.) every other day No. 25.In group 2, patients received NSAIDs + Fermatron 1% 2 ml with an interval of 7 days intra - articularly (I.A.) No. 3. In group 3 - NSAIDs + Injectran 200 mg (I.M.) every other day No. 25 + Fermatron 1% 2 ml with an interval of 7 days (I.A.) No. 3. In the control group (20 people), patients received only NSAIDs. Evaluation of the symptoms was carried out using the WOMAC index before the start of thetherapy, after 8 and 12 weeks of treatment. The intensity of pain while walking was estimated on a visual analogue scale.

RESULTS

In the groups that received Injectran (I; group 1) or Fermatron (F; group 2), the dynamics of pain while walking reduction was comparable and had slightly more than 30% in both groups, the figures are reliable in comparison withinitial data (p.