Evaluation of the efficacy of pregabalin in the therapy of chronic pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis

• Published in: Terapevtic̆eskii arhiv Vol. 89; no. 12; pp. 81 - 85
• Main Authors: Filatova, E S, Turovskaya, E F, Alekseeva, L I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Russia (Federation) "Consilium Medicum" Publishing house 01.01.2017
• Subjects: aceclofenac; Aged; airtal; Analgesics - administration & dosage; Analgesics - adverse effects; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - administration & dosage; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - adverse effects; Arthralgia - diagnosis; Arthralgia - drug therapy; Arthralgia - etiology; Diclofenac - administration & dosage; Diclofenac - adverse effects; Diclofenac - analogs & derivatives; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Humans; knee osteoarthritis; Male; Middle Aged; Neuralgia - diagnosis; Neuralgia - drug therapy; Neuralgia - etiology; neuropathic pain component; Osteoarthritis, Knee - complications; Pain Measurement - methods; pregabalin; Pregabalin - administration & dosage; Pregabalin - adverse effects; pregabalin-richter; Treatment Outcome; pregabalin; pregabalin-Richter; aceclofenac; neuropathic pain component; Airtal; knee osteoarthritis
• ISSN: 0040-3660; 2309-5342; 2309-5342
• DOI: 10.17116/terarkh2017891281-85

To evaluate the efficacy of pregabalin in the therapy of chronic pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). The study enrolled 60 patients with KOA and neuropathic pain component (NPC) (Douleur Neuropathique en 4 questions (DN4) questionnaire scores, >4) who were randomized into two groups to receive aceclofenac or aceclofenac + pregabalin for 5 weeks. All the patients underwent clinical and neurological examinations, assessment of the functional WOMAC index, pain intensity at rest and during movement, and diagnosis of neuropathic pain (NP) (DN4 and Pain DETECT questionnaires). Both groups were observed to have positive changes in the studied parameters; however, combination therapy using an anticonvulsant drug (pregabalin) showed a more pronounced positive effect against not only NPC, but also the functional activity (WOMAC) and severity of pain (visual analogue scale). Combination therapy using pregabalin in KOA patients having the signs of NP is more effective than monotherapy with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (aceclofenac).