Study register / Pain / Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis

2 curated studies · 2 key studies · mechoulam.de

For osteoarthritis, several systematic reviews exist with mixed results. Observational studies more often report pain relief, whereas controlled trials show inconsistent results. The certainty of these conclusions is overall rated as low.

Rating scheme

The letter rates the quality of a study, independently of its type. Every study type can receive any grade: a review can be B or C when it is small or weak, and an RCT can be S. The grade is a synthesis of study design, journal authority and clinical bindingness:

S
Highest evidence, large, methodologically first-rate studies or S3 guidelines
A
Strong evidence, solid, meaningful studies with a clear result
B
Moderate evidence, smaller or methodologically limited studies
C
Weak evidence, preliminary, indirect or contradictory findings
D
Lowest evidence, exploratory hints, single cases or expert opinion

Quality profile per study

To the left of each study there is a profile of four features, it shows the differences within a letter class.

Sample size ★
Number of participants (RCT) or included studies (review).
Blinding
Double-blind, single-blind or open-label.
Effect size
Clear benefit, mixed, no benefit or harm.
Citations / year ★
Age-adjusted citation frequency.

Key studies

2
  1. 01
    A
    Efficacy, Tolerability, and Safety of Cannabinoid Treatments in the Rheumatic Diseases: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
    Fitzcharles et al. ·2016 ·Arthritis Care & Research
    Read
  2. 02
    A
    Medical cannabis and its efficacy/effectiveness on the management of osteoarthritis pain and function.
    Dubois et al. ·2024 ·Current medical research and opinion
    Read

Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Syntheses of RCT evidence following Cochrane and PRISMA standards.

2
A
Sample size ★★★★★
Blinding —
Effect size Mixed
Citations / year ★★★★★
● Key study
Fitzcharles et al. ·2016 ·Arthritis Care & Research
83 citations

Efficacy, Tolerability, and Safety of Cannabinoid Treatments in the Rheumatic Diseases: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Design
Systematic Review
Sample
k = 4 Studien
n = 203 Pat.
Key finding

Cannabinoids showed statistically significant effects on pain in 2 of 4 studies and on sleep in 2 studies, but with frequent side effects (dizziness, cognitive problems, drowsiness, nausea in about half of patients) and overall insufficient evidence for a recommendation.

Summary

Systematic review on cannabinoids in rheumatic diseases; k=4 short-term studies, n=203 (58 RA, 71 fibromyalgia, 74 osteoarthritis). Osteoarthritis study discontinued prematurely (futility). Statistically significant effect on pain in 2 studies, sleep in 2 studies, quality of life in 1 study. High risk of bias for all 3 completed studies. Side effects (dizziness, cognitive problems, nausea) in ~50% of patients. Conclusion: insufficient evidence for a recommendation in rheumatic diseases.

DOI 10.1002/acr.22727 ↗
A
Sample size ★★★★★
Blinding —
Effect size —
Citations / year —
● Key study
Dubois et al. ·2024 ·Current medical research and opinion

Medical cannabis and its efficacy/effectiveness on the management of osteoarthritis pain and function.

Design
Systematic Review
Sample
k = 7 Studien
Summary

Systematic review on medical cannabis for osteoarthritis pain; k=7 studies (2 RCTs + 5 observational studies). Only 1 of 2 RCTs reported pain improvement; all 5 observational studies showed pain reduction and/or functional improvement. GRADE: low evidence quality, high risk of bias. Conclusion: cannabis no substitute for primary therapy, but therapeutic benefit possible for a subgroup.

DOI 10.1080/03007995.2024.2363945 ↗

Ongoing and upcoming studies

Ongoing studies are still in the trial phase and are not evidence of efficacy or safety. The information serves educational purposes only.

8
  • NCT06234631 ClinicalTrials.gov Cannabidiol for Postoperative Opioid Reduction in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty Recruiting Phase 2 Start: 2024-03
  • NCT06381791 ClinicalTrials.gov CBD for Pain Following Orthopedic Shoulder Surgery Recruiting Phase 1 Start: 2024-05
  • NCT05020028 ClinicalTrials.gov Cannabidiol (CBD) in Pain Reduction for Knee Osteoarthritis Recruiting Phase 2 Start: 2022-06
  • NCT06878417 ClinicalTrials.gov Cannabinoids for Osteoarthritis Pain Effectiveness Trial Recruiting Start: 2026-01
  • NCT07638189 ClinicalTrials.gov CBD Knee Osteoarthritis Study Planned Phase 2 Start: 2026-07
  • NCT05335252 ClinicalTrials.gov Dronabinol After Arthroscopic Surgery Active Phase 3 Start: 2022-06
  • NCT04992624 ClinicalTrials.gov Cannabinoid Interactions With Central and Peripheral Pain Mechanisms in Osteoarthritis of the Knee Recruiting Phase 2 Start: 2022-02
  • NCT06414473 ClinicalTrials.gov CBD for Knee Osteoarthritis Recruiting Phase 1 Start: 2024-06