A Double-Blind Crossover Evaluation of Naproxen and Piroxicam in Osteoarthritis of Hip or Knee

Seventy-five patients participated in a randomized, double-blind, crossover study, the aim of which was to compare the efficacy and safety of naproxen 1000 mg once daily with piroxicam 20 mg once daily for the treatment of osteoarthritis of hip or knee. Treatment periods of 4 weeks each were preceded by placebo wash-out periods of up to 1 week. The patients were examined clinically at every stage of the trial. Each treatment group exhibited significant improvement in weight-bearing and night pain, over-all disease severity, and the separate evaluations of patient response by physician and patient. There were no significant differences between the drugs in type, severity, or number of side-effects. Neither of the drugs influenced the patients' laboratory data. Night pain was less for patients using naproxen than for those taking piroxicam, and patients indicated greater preference for naproxen than for piroxicam. Naproxen was statistically superior to piroxicam as measured by decreased weight-bearing pain and over-all disease severity, the separate physician and patient global assessments of patient response to therapy, and physician preference. In this study, naproxen 1000 mg once daily was more effective than piroxicam 20 mg once daily for the treatment of osteoarthritis.