Controlled evaluation of fenoprofen in geriatric patients with osteoarthritis.

A double-blind, crossover study compared the use of fenoprofen to aspirin in patients with osteoarthritis of large joints, most of them with knee involvement. A total of 24 patients participated in the study. Their ages ranged from 48 to 75 years, with an average age of 63 years. The mean daily dose was 1.8 gm of fenoprofen and 3.1 gm of aspirin in divided doses. Efficacy parameters showed that fenoprofen and aspirin provided significantly greater relief of osteoarthritis symptoms than placebo, and that the two active drugs were essentially equal in effectiveness. Fenoprofen was well tolerated in this group of patients. Only one patient discontinued the study during fenoprofen therapy because of side effects. The overall incidence of adverse reactions with fenoprofen compared favorably to that with placebo; the highest incidence was associated with aspirin therapy.