Etodolac, aspirin, and placebo in patients with degenerative joint disease: a twelve-week study

Thirty patients from a private practice were enrolled in an investigation designed to compare the efficacy and safety of a new nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, etodolac, with those of aspirin and placebo in ameliorating pain, inflammation, and functional deficits associated with degenerative joint disease. The 12-week, double-blind, parallel-group study was divided into drug-titration and maintenance periods and was preceded by a washout period of up to two weeks. There were ten patients in each of the three treatment groups. The mean daily maintenance dosages of etodolac and aspirin were 384 mg and 4,322 mg, respectively. Etodolac was significantly (less than or equal to 0.05) more effective than placebo according to 11 of 15 clinical indexes of efficacy: three assessments of the range of motion of the knee joint, and one each of pain while standing, pain while walking, pain while climbing stairs, the average of pains while bearing weight, pain at night, joint tenderness, patient's self-evaluation, and the time required to walk 50 feet. Aspirin was significantly more effective than placebo in only three assessments: two of the range of motion of the knee joint and one of pain while standing. One patient taking etodolac, three patients taking aspirin, and six patients taking placebo withdrew from the trial because of insufficient therapeutic response. There were four withdrawals due to adverse effects, two in the aspirin group and two in the placebo group. Adverse effects (tinnitus and hearing loss) leading to withdrawal of one of the two aspirin patients were probably due to drug administration. No significant side effects were reported by patients in the etodolac group.