The clinical use of Bio-Cell®, bromelain, methylsulfonylmethane, Boswellia fitosoma and vitamin C in knee and hip osteoarthritis

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip or knee joints is a very common condition, due to cartilage deterioration and inflammatory processes. So far, there is no specific treatment for patients affected by primary OA, although several pharmacological treatments are largely used. Recently, the use of natural substances as coadjuvants has become increasingly common, although their role is not yet well-defined. METHODS: We performed a national, multicenter, observational study to evaluate the effects of 21 days of treatment with a food supplement on 599 patients affected by Kellgren-Lawrence grade I-II knee and hip OA. Symptoms were evaluated at 3 time points (baseline, 7 days, and 21 days) using VAS and WOMAC scales; a physician also evaluated patients’ symptoms improvement. Subgroup analysis was also carried out on specific cohort groups (grade and site of OA). RESULTS: A total cohort of 599 patients was retrospectively evaluated, and results showed that the supplementation improved VAS and WOMAC scores at each time point for every patients’ category (stage I or II knee or hip OA). Most patients also showed a good (84%) or moderate (15.1%) clinical improvement at 21 days according to the assessing investigator. CONCLUSIONS: Our study supports the positive effects of oral supplementation in patients with stage I or II knee and hip OA. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings, and to better understand the interaction with concurrent analgesic drugs.