Tramadol for osteoarthritis
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Tramadol is increasingly used for the treatment of osteoarthritis because, in contrast to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), tramadol does not produce gastrointestinal bleeding or renal problems, and does not affect articular cartilage.
OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine the analgesic effectiveness, the effect on physical function, the duration of benefit and the safety of oral tramadol in people with osteoarthritis.
SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE and LILACS databases up to August 2005.
SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effect of tramadol or tramadol plus paracetamol on pain levels and/or physical function in people with osteoarthritis. No language restriction was applied.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We analyzed separately placebo-controlled and active-controlled studies. We used fixed-effect models for the meta-analyses as the results across studies were similar.
MAIN RESULTS: We included eleven RCTs with a total of 1019 participants who received tramadol or tramadol/paracetamol and 920 participants who received placebo or active-control. The placebo-controlled studies indicated that participants who received tramadol had less pain (-8.5 units on a 0 to 100 scale; 95% confidence interval (CI) -12.0 to -5.0) than patients who received placebo. This represents a 12% relative decrease in pain intensity from baseline.…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a systematic review, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 1,019 participants or records.
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