Glucosamine hydrochloride 500mg / Chondroitin sulfate 400mg effervescent tablets

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) occur frequently within the general population and are the most common non-dental cause of orofacial pain. Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ OA) is a degenerative joint disease (DJD). There have been several different methods of treatment of TMJ OA listed, including pharmacotherapy among others. Due to its anti-aging, antioxidative, bacteriostatic, anti-inflammatory, immuno-stimulating, pro-anabolic and anti-catabolic properties, oral glucosamine seems to be a potentially very effective agent in the treatment of TMJ OA. The aim of this review was to critically assess the efficacy of oral glucosamine in the treatment of TMJ OA on the basis of the literature. PubMed and Scopus databases were analyzed with the keywords: (temporomandibular joints) AND ((disorders) OR (osteoarthritis)) AND (treatment) AND (glucosamine). After the screening of 50 results, eight studies have been included in this review. Oral glucosamine is one of the symptomatic slow-acting drugs for osteoarthritis. There is not enough scientific evidence to unambiguously confirm the clinical effectiveness of glucosamine supplements in the treatment of TMJ OA on the basis of the literature. The most important aspect affecting the clinical efficacy of oral glucosamine in the treatment of TMJ OA was the total administration time. Administration of oral glucosamine for a longer period of time, i.e., 3 months, led to a significant reduction in TMJ pain and a significant increase in maximum mouth opening. It also resulted in long-term anti-inflammatory effects within the TMJs. Further long-term, randomized, double-blind studies, with a unified methodology, ought to be performed to draw the general recommendations for the use of oral glucosamine in the treatment of TMJ OA.

Abstract licence: CC BY

It is well known that different types of exercise significantly improve physical function and relieve pain in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the added effects of glucosamine or glucosamine and chondroitin supplementation in combination with an exercise program in the management of KOA. The randomized controlled trials on adding glucosamine (G) or G combined with chondroitin (C) to an exercise program in the treatment of KOA were searched in the PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PEDro, and Web of Science online databases. The Pedro scale tool was used to assess quality of literature. A meta-analysis was performed using the Review Manager 5.4 software. In total, 6 studies (including 297 participants) were included for the final meta-analysis. According to the PEDro scale, the average quality of the studies was rated as good (mean = 8.2 (2)). The results showed that the effect of G, or G and C, in combination with exercise is not significant, as indicated by the assessed knee pain (WOMAC pain: SMD -0.18, 95% CI -0.47 to 0.11, p = 0.23; and VAS pain: SMD -0.34, 95% CI -0.85 to 0.17, p = 0.20) and physical function (SMD -0.13, 95% CI -0.95 to 0.69, p = 0.76). Adding glucosamine alone or a combination of glucosamine and chondroitin to exercise, has no effect on knee pain and physical function compared with exercise alone in KOA patients. Keywords: treatment, dietary supplement, physical activity, older adults.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC 4.0