Cetylated Fatty Acids Improve Knee Function in Patients with OA

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Cetylated Fatty Acids Improve Knee Function in Patients with

Osteoarthritis

ROBERT HESSLINK Jr, DAVID ARMSTRONG III, M.V. NAGENDRAN, SRINAN

SREEVATSAN, and RAJ BARATHUR

ABSTRACT.

Objective. To determine the benefit of cetylated fatty acids (CFA) on

knee range of motion and function in patients with osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods. Sixty-four patients with chronic knee OA were evaluated at

baseline and at 30 and 68 days after consuming either placebo (vegetable

oil; n = 31) or CFA (CeladrinTM; n = 33). Evaluations included physician

assessment, knee range of motion with goniometry, and the Lequesne

Algofunctional Index (LAI).

Results. After 68 days, patients treated with CFA exhibited significant

(p < 0.001) increase in knee flexion (10.1°) compared to patients given

placebo (1.1°). Neither group reported improvement in knee extension.

Patient responses to the LAI indicated a significant (p < 0.001) shift

towards functional improvement for the CFA group (-5.4 points) after 68

days compared to a modest improvement in the placebo group (-2.1

points).

Conclusion. Compared to placebo, CFA provides an improvement in knee

range of motion and overall function in patients with OA of the knee.

CFA may be an alternative to the use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory

drugs for the treatment of OA. (J Rheumatol 2002;29:1708-12)