[Pharmacological treatments of knee osteoarthritis]

Knee osteoarthritis -OA- is one of the most common musculoskeletal diseases. It frequently induces intense pain and functional impairment. To date, there is no treatment able to slow down the structural progression. Only the symptomatic part of knee OA is accessible to treatment. The management should be global including non-pharmacological treatments -weight loss, physiotherapy, physical exercises, orthoses, braces- and pharmacological treatments combining general and local treatments. In this review, we will discuss the benefits and risks of the main oral treatments -acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, weak and strong opioids- and local treatments including topics -local anti-inflammatory drugs, capsaicin- and intra-articular injections of corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid and platelet- rich plasma. The potential interest of joint irrigation will also be mentioned. Finally, we will propose a therapeutic strategy encompassing these different treatments.