Determining the Efficacy and Safety of Duloxetine and Gabapentin in Pain Reduction on Knee Osteoarthritis Patients – An Observational Study

Abstract

Background Prevalence of knee osteoarthritis is rising in India probably due to the larger proportion of the population attaining longevity and obesity becoming very common in the population. This has subsequently led to increasing demand for knee arthroplasty. Correct diagnosis and classification of knee osteoarthritis (OA) has therefore provoked greater interest in following up and planning for either conservative or operative management.  Method We selected 120 radiographic examinations of the knee taken of patients visiting the SriMedilife Rheumatology Clinic at Warangal and manually categorized them on the basis of the Kellgren and Lawrence grading.  Result In the present study, it has been observed that “both Gabapentin and Duloxetine had similar efficacy that was acceptable at the end of the three months in the treatment for reducing pain and improving WOMAC score and its subscales with no significant difference between the groups (p=0.3889). However, the time required for Duloxetine to produce significant effects was after first month, while the effects of Gabapentin gradually began to be observed only after the second month of its treatment.” Conclusion We conclude that both gabapentin and duloxetine have approximately similar and acceptable effects in pain reduction and improvement of functional status in patients with knee OA at the end of the third month’s treatment.