[Methods of evaluating chondroprotective treatment]

A chondroprotective therapy is a basic treatment of osteo-arthritis aimed at stopping pathological processes involved in articular cartilage degradation. Assessing the clinical benefit of such treatment is difficult, as it is related to individual characteristics (primary or secondary osteo-arthritis, anatomical location and/or evolutive stage), to the duration of treatment and to the efficacy criteria utilized. Whether this assessment can be made in a single patient or requires studies of patient populations is debated.