New Developments in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis: A Focus on Women

Apart from being the most common joint disorder worldwide, osteoarthritis (OA) has a significant functional effect on those affected. The disease disproportionally affects women more than men. Current guidelines supported by professional organizations composed of multidisciplinary experts offer important practical insights into managing OA. This paper reflects recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, the American Geriatrics Society, and the American Pain Society. Furthermore, the Osteoarthritis Research Society International recently published a two-part series, the first document of which systematically reviewed and assessed the quality of the existing 23 guidelines on treating hip and knee OA published between 1945 and 2006; the second was a set of 25 evidence-based guidelines combining both pharmacological and nonpharmacological strategies for managing OA. A 2010 publication by this expert group updated the original recommendations with new data from the literature. Treatments reviewed include patient education, self-help skills, exercise, and changes in lifestyle. In addition, pharmacological options such as acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, topical agents, opioids, glucosamine, and chondroitin sulfate are discussed. For those patients unable to obtain meaningful functional improvement from a combination of pharmacological and nonpharmacological strategies, joint replacement surgery is an appropriate option. Overall, a multimodal approach to managing osteoarthitis is encouraged. The goal of this paper is to review new evidence-based guidelines for the management of hip and knee osteoarthritis.