Summary
Six orthopaedic clinics in Sweden made a comparison of the effects and side effects of Piroxicam (20mg) and Indometacin (100mg) suppositories in 261 patients with painful coxarthrosis on the waiting list for total hip replacement (THR). The study was designed as a single blind study over 4 weeks. Amount of pain and range of motion was registered before the trial and compared with findings after 4 weeks, including reported side effects. Both drugs gave satisfactory pain relief without any appreciable variation on weightbearing or at rest. On the other hand, the trial showed a significant difference (p=0.0033, Student's-test) between the two drugs as regards the frequency of side effects from the lower gastrointestinal tract, where piroxicam had a lower rate compared with indometacin. No serious complications occurred; 16 patients dropped out, 8 in each group.
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Ersmark, H., Tjornstrand, B., Gudmundsson, G. et al. Piroxicam and indometacin suppositories for painful coxarthrosis. Clin Rheumatol 11, 37–40 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02207081
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02207081