[Diclofenac/orphenadrine infusion therapy in patients with active arthrosis]

This study investigated the efficacy and safety of a diclofenac/orphenadrin infusion in 21 female and 1 male patients with clinically and radiologically diagnosed inflammatory osteoarthritis of the big joints, especially the knee and hip joints. The patients received 1 infusion per day over 2 h for 10 days. Efficacy and safety were assessed by measuring the subjective pain intensity at rest and during exercise on a visual analogue scale and on an ordinal rating scale before and after every infusion. The patients were interviewed daily for possible side effects. After the 10-days treatment course a 5% reduction of pain at rest and a 37.5% reduction of pain during exercise was observed. Subjective pain intensity was reduced by an average of 32.5%. In most cases relief was noticeable after the 4th infusion. 9 patients rated the medication safety as "very good", 11 patients as "good". A total of 12 patients reported mainly mild side effects such as vertigo, dry mouth, and temporarily reduced visual acuity. Based on its rapid onset of action and its efficacy, it can be stated that the investigated diclofenac/orphenadrin infusion is a valuable extension of the therapeutic methods in patients with inflammatory osteoarthritis.