Osteoarthritis and cartilage
-
Osteoarthr. Cartil. · Aug 2007
Review Meta AnalysisEfficacy and safety of opioids for osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
To determine the analgesic effectiveness, the effect on physical function and the safety of opioids in patients with osteoarthritis (OA). ⋯ Opioids significantly decrease pain intensity and have small benefits on function compared with placebo in patients with OA. Adverse events, although reversible and not life threatening, often cause participants to stop taking the medication and could limit opioid usefulness. Moreover, the long-term efficacy and safety of these drugs for OA is yet to be determined due to the short mean trial duration.