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. 2018 Dec 12;10(4):7782.
doi: 10.4081/or.2018.7782. eCollection 2018 Dec 6.

Pharmacological treatment of knee osteoarthritis: Special considerations of the new German guideline

Juergen Steinmeyer  1 , Fritjof Bock  2   3 , Johannes Stöve  4 , Jörg Jerosch  5 , Johannes Flechtenmacher  6   7
Affiliations

Pharmacological treatment of knee osteoarthritis: Special considerations of the new German guideline

Juergen Steinmeyer et al. Orthop Rev (Pavia). .

Abstract

The pharmacological treatment of knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a purely symptomatic therapy, which often ensures that the mobility of the patient is successfully retained. This article refers to the recommendations and opinions regarding the pharmacotherapy of knee OA contained in the new guideline of the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF), highlighting several important aspects and describing the considerations underlying the decision-making process. With this article it is hoped that therapeutic effectiveness can be realistically estimated, that any risks of medication errors and avoidable side effects can be reduced, and that further helpful measures can be taken into consideration.

Keywords: Guideline; Knee; NSAIDs; Osteoarthritis; pharmacotherapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: the authors declare no potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Algorithm of medical treatment for knee OA in accordance with the new German guidelines. GI, gastrointestinal; Y, years, CI, contraindication(s); NSAID non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug = traditional NSAID and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor (COX-2 inhibitor); PPI, proton pump inhibitor; AE, adverse effects.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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