Glucosamine Sulfate Not Effective for Hip Osteoarthritis

by J. Glen House, MD

Just-released findings from a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine indicate that despite hopes to the contrary, glucosamine sulfate did not reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis. It also did not seem to support an increase in the amount of collagen between the bones.

Hip osteoarthritis can be annoying in its early stages and debilitating in its end stages, so any treatment that might limit its pain and increase function is of course of great interest.  The use of glucosamine sulfate has been a popular - if controversial - topic of study, with conflicting reports on its effectiveness in the treatment of hip osteoarthritis.

The study reported on was performed over a two-year period in the Netherlands on 222 patients with previously diagnosed hip osteoarthritis.  The authors looked at pain, function, stiffness, and whether there was a change in the joint space as determined by x-ray evaluation. During the two-year period, patients took either 1500 mg of glucosamine sulfate or a placebo on a daily basis.

The majority of previous studies using glucosamine sulfate looked at knee osteoarthritis.  There have been only three studies that looked at affected joints other then the knee, and only two previous studies that considered the change in joint space by radiographic evaluation.  The change in joint space shows whether there is an increase or decrease in the amount of collagen (the shock absorber) between the bones.

The results did not find any difference between the use of glucosamine sulfate compared to a placebo in reducing the symptoms of osteoarthritis and joint space distance over a 24 month period. Individuals with hip osteoarthritis should consider these results when deciding whether to spend money on the supplement glucosamine sulfate.

For further information: "Effect of glucosamine sulfate on hip osteoarthritis," Rianne M. Rozendaal, et al, Annals of Internal Medicine, vol 148, no 4, February 19, 2008.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18283204?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum