Is glucosamine effective for osteoarthritis?

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#glucosamine #humans #osteoarthritis #pain #randomized-controlled-trials-as-topic

Is glucosamine effective for osteoarthritis?

Harrison-Muñoz et al., 2017 | Medwave | Meta Analysis

Citation

Harrison-Muñoz Stephanie, Rojas-Briones Valentina, Irarrázaval Sebastián. Is glucosamine effective for osteoarthritis?. Medwave. 2017-Mar-15;17(Suppl1):e6867. doi:10.5867/medwave.2017.6867

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent chronic articular disease, in which pain is one of the main symptoms and a major determinant of functional loss. Several therapeutic options have been proposed, including glucosamine, but its actual usefulness has not yet been established. To answer this question, we searched in Epistemonikos database, which is maintained by screening multiple databases. We identified 11 systematic reviews including 35 randomized trials answering the question of interest. We extracted data, conducted a meta-analysis and generated a summary of findings table using the GRADE approach. We concluded it is not clear whether glucosamine decreases pain or improves functionality in osteoarthritis because the certainty of the evidence is very low.

Key Findings

We concluded it is not clear whether glucosamine decreases pain or improves functionality in osteoarthritis because the certainty of the evidence is very low.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Glucosamine
  • Humans
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Pain
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Treatment Outcome

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Review
  • Vertical: glucosamine-osteoarthritis

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09