Topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) v placebo or oral NSAIDs for osteoarthritis*
| Outcomes | Topical NSAIDS v placebo | Topical NSAIDs v oral NSAIDs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of comparisons (n) | Pooled effect size (95% CI) | Number of comparisons (n) | Pooled effect size (CI) | |
| *Abbreviations defined in glossary. | ||||
| †Significant result favouring topical NSAIDs over placebo. | ||||
| ‡Significant result favouring oral over topical NSAIDs. | ||||
| Pain relief (1 wk) | 9 (1000) | 0.41 (0.16 to 0.66)† | 1 (208) | −0.38 (−0.66 to −0.10)‡ |
| Pain relief (2 wks) | 8 (893) | 0.40 (0.15 to 0.65)† | 1 (208) | −0.19 (−0.47 to 0.09) |
| Pain relief (3 wks) | 4 (442) | 0.05 (−0.11 to 0.22) | 2 (529) | −0.26 (−0.68 to 0.16) |
| Pain relief (4 wks) | 5 (558) | 0.04 (−0.11 to 0.19) | 1 (208) | −0.10 (−0.37 to 0.18) |
| Improved function (1 wk) | 4 (566) | 0.37 (0.20 to 0.53)† | 1 (208) | −0.32 (−0.60 to −0.04)‡ |
| Improved function (2 wks) | 4 (540) | 0.35 (0.19 to 0.53)† | 1 (208) | −0.24 (−0.52 to 0.04) |
| Improved function (3 wks) | 1 (208) | 0.10 (−0.18 to 0.38) | 2 (529) | −0.11 (−0.28 to 0.06) |
| Improved function (4 wks) | 1 (208) | 0.26 (−0.02 to 0.54) | 1 (208) | −0.10 (−0.38 to 0.17) |
| Reduced stiffness (1 wk) | 1 (74) | 0.64 (0.19 to 1.09)† | Not assessed | Not assessed |
| Reduced stiffness (2 wks) | 1 (81) | 0.33 (−0.13 to 0.79) | Not assessed | Not assessed |
