- Design
- Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 12 weeks
- Population
- 100 adults in Korea with mild knee osteoarthritis
- Primary outcome
- WOMAC total and subscale scores
- Effect
- WOMAC change -19.3 vs -2.1 (P < .001)
This 12-week double-blind trial in Korea randomised 100 adults with mild knee osteoarthritis to chondroitin sulfate 1,200 mg daily or placebo.
WOMAC total score fell by 19.3 points with chondroitin and 2.1 with placebo. Pain on a visual analogue scale fell by 18.8 mm against 3.0 mm, and 20-metre walking time improved. No meaningful safety concerns were reported.
The placebo response was unusually small for an osteoarthritis trial, which makes the size of the difference hard to interpret. The trial was short, single-country and limited to mild disease, and previous trials of chondroitin have given inconsistent results.
This does not establish chondroitin as an effective treatment. Exercise and weight management remain the foundation for knee osteoarthritis.
- Chondroitin 1,200 mg daily improved WOMAC by about 19 points against 2 with placebo over 12 weeks.
- The placebo response was unusually small, which may exaggerate the difference.
- The trial was limited to mild knee osteoarthritis.
- Keep exercise and weight management as first-line care.
- If a patient wants to try chondroitin, set a review date to judge benefit.
Why it matters
Patients frequently ask about chondroitin, and an eye-catching positive trial will be quoted.
Don't overread it
A single 12-week trial with an unusually small placebo response does not overturn inconsistent earlier evidence.
The statistics, in plain English
The differences are statistically clear, but a near-absent placebo effect is unusual in pain trials and makes the true benefit uncertain. Short trials in mild disease may not reflect long-term use.
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