Evidence map›Paper›PMID 15286056›Full record

SynthesisBMJ (Clinical research ed.)2004

Efficacy of topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of osteoarthritis: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Jinying Lin, Weiya Zhang, Adrian Jones, Michael Doherty

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2004. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 85 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
85citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

85 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  5. Topical NSAIDs for chronic musculoskeletal pain in adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2016
    Pooled it
  6. Topical NSAIDs for chronic musculoskeletal pain in adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2012
    Pooled it
  7. NSAIDs.BMJ clinical evidence · 2010
    Pooled it
  8. Osteoarthritis of the knee.BMJ clinical evidence · 2007
    Pooled it
  9. NSAIDs.BMJ clinical evidence · 2007
    Pooled it
  10. Guideline
  11. Trial
  12. Trial
  13. Trial
  14. Trial
  15. Trial
  16. Trial
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

25 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Jinying LinAcademic Rheumatology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital, Nottingham NG5 1PB.
Weiya Zhang
Adrian Jones
Michael Doherty

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo assess the efficacy of topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the treatment of osteoarthritis. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, Scientific Citation Index, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and abstracts from conferences. REVIEW

methodsInclusion criterion was randomised controlled trials comparing topical NSAIDs with placebo or oral NSAIDs in osteoarthritis. Effect size was calculated for pain, function, and stiffness. Rate ratio was calculated for dichotomous data such as clinical response rate and adverse event rate. Number needed to treat to obtain the clinical response was estimated. Quality of trial was assessed, and sensitivity analyses were undertaken.

resultsTopical NSAIDs were superior to placebo in relieving pain due to osteoarthritis only in the first two weeks of treatment. Effect sizes for weeks 1 and 2 were 0.41 (95% confidence interval, 0.16 to 0.66) and 0.40 (0.15 to 0.65), respectively. No benefit was observed over placebo in weeks 3 and 4. A similar pattern was observed for function, stiffness, and clinical response rate ratio and number needed to treat. Topical NSAIDs were inferior to oral NSAIDs in the first week of treatment and associated with more local side effects such as rash, itch, or burning (rate ratio 5.29, 1.14 to 24.51).

conclusionRandomised controlled trials of short duration only (less than four weeks) have assessed the efficacy of topical NSAIDs in osteoarthritis. After two weeks there was no evidence of efficacy superior to placebo. No trial data support the long term use of topical NSAIDs in osteoarthritis.

Indexed as

Administration, TopicalAnti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-SteroidalHumansOsteoarthritisPainRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeAnti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal

Identifiers

PMID15286056
PMCPMC506853

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.