Assessment outcomes of clinical drug trials in osteoarthritis.

The management of osteoarthritis has been limited to symptomatic treatment to decrease pain and improve function without modifying the underlying disease process. New insights into the structure, physiology, and function of cartilage, however, have led to the development of promising approaches that might ultimately modify the underlying disease process. Over the past year, a number of therapeutic trials in osteoarthritis were reported in the literature. These studies provide an opportunity to review methodologic challenges in clinical trials of osteoarthritis.