The efficacy of the conservative therapy for an idiopathic osteoarthritis of the hip joint

Aim

To evaluate the efficacy of aceclofenac, tolperisone, and chondroprotective agent in patients with moderately severe osteoathritis (OA) of the hip joint.

Material and methods

Sixty five patients (38 males and 27 females aged from 40 to 69 years) with Stage II-III OA of the hip joint were enrolled in a prospective open-label study and were distributed into two groups. Thirty five patients from the study group were treated with acelofenac 100 mg twice daily, tolperisone 75 mg twice daily, and chondroitine sulphate 1 ml (7 to 10 intramuscular injections), whereas 30 patients from the control group were treated with ibuprofen 400 mg twice daily, chondroitine sulphate, and betamethasone (two intraarticular injections of 7 mg). At week 4, we evalua- ted changes in the pain visual analogue scale (VAS), ranges of the hip joint movement, ultrasound signs of synovitis, and laboratory markers of inflammation.

Results

All patients from both groups completed treatment that resulted in a statistically significant reduction in the pain VAS and increase in the ranges of the hip joint movement. There was a trend to improvement of the laboratory markers of inflammation and ultrasound signs of synovitis. One female from the control group developed menstrual disorder that could be related to glucocorticosteroid treatment.

Conclusion

Comparable efficacy of two regimens suggests that glucocorticosteroid may be replaced for centralacting muscle relaxant tolperisone in patients with OA of the hip joint.

Key words

Osteoarthritis, hip joint, NSAIDs, aceclofenac, central-acting muscle relaxants, tolperisone, chondroprotectors, betamethasone.