The efficacy of Arthrotec in the treatment of osteoarthritis.

In a double-blind study, 455 patients with osteoarthritis were randomly assigned to receive a combination of Arthrotec, 50 mg of diclofenac and 200 micrograms of misoprostol, or 50 mg of diclofenac; the drugs were given two or three times daily for 4 weeks. At weeks 2 and 4 of treatment, no significant differences between the treatment groups were noted in changes from baseline on the physicians' and patients' global assessment of osteoarthritis. On a measure of arthritis severity, patients with both arthritis of the hip and knee showed improvement from week 2 to week 4, with no significant differences between treatment groups.