Baseline characteristics of the patients
| Full WOMAC function subscale* (n = 1218) | Incomplete WOMAC function subscale† (n = 144) | |
|---|---|---|
| Values are mean (SD) or n (%). | ||
| *Patients without missing data for the WOMAC function subscale at the baseline visit; thus those who were involved in the derivation process. | ||
| †Patients with missing data for the WOMAC function subscale or who did not complete the questions at all at baseline. | ||
| ‡Other than NSAID. | ||
| §Chondroitin sulphate, diacerheine, or avocado/soybean unsaponifiables. | ||
| NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; VAS, visual analogue scale; WOMAC, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index. | ||
| Age (years) | 66.9 (10.4) | 69.7 (10.8) |
| Female sex | 854 (70.1%) | 59 (41.0%) |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 27.6 (4.7) | 27.8 (5.0) |
| Disease duration (years) | 4.5 (5.6) | 4.7 (5.9) |
| Kellgren and Lawrence grade | ||
| II | 246 (20.2%) | 19 (13.2%) |
| III | 530 (43.6%) | 62 (43.1%) |
| IV | 440 (36.2%) | 63 (43.8%) |
| NSAID intake during the past 4 weeks | 355 (29.2%) | 38 (26.4%) |
| Analgesics‡ during the past 4 weeks | 699 (57.5%) | 87 (60.4%) |
| Symptomatic slow acting drug intake§ during the past 4 weeks | 437 (36.0%) | 38 (26.4%) |
| Pain (0–100 VAS) | ||
| Mean (SD) | 57.9 (17.0) | 57.6 (17.4) |
| Week 0 to week 4 (SD) | −23.3 (22.1) | −21.4 (22.4) |
| Global assessment (0–100 VAS) | ||
| Mean (SD) | 58.6 (19.0) | 59.3 (20.6) |
| Week 0 to week 4 (SD) | −23.1 (24.1) | −21.0 (26.6) |
| WOMAC function score (0–68) | ||
| Mean (SD) | 29.7 (11.4) | – |
| Week 0 to week 4 (SD) | −7.8 (9.7) | – |