Abstract

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most frequent form of arthritis worldwide, with an increasing trend of frequency for the higher incidence in the population of risk factors, like age and obesity. New local remedies for pain and inflammation management are useful for reducing adverse events related to oral anti-inflammatory drugs administration. The aim of this study is to evaluate the analgesic effect of a new topical gel formulation based on cannabis sativa oil enriched in CBD, escin, bromelain, Boswellia extract, glucosamine sulphate, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) and methylsalicylate (Cibides lipogel®), in patients with OA. Methods: 53 outpatients with osteoarthritis diagnosis, were allocated to treatment with the topical formulation applied three times a day for 14 days and evaluated at baseline, after 7 and 14 days of treatment, by assigning a score in a 100-mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and by filling a questionnaire for quality-of-life assessment. Results: A statistically significant VAS score reduction versus baseline, for each timepoint evaluated, was registered, with a reduction of 56.3% of VAS score at T2 versus T0. Furtherly, in most patients the score related to every question of the questionnaire for quality-of-life is decreased, showing an improvement of quality of life. Conclusions: This study confirmed that this new topical formulation is effective for pain management in patients with OA and can represent a potential alternative to systemic and local NSAIDs use, without side effects.

Keywords: Osteoarthritis; Cannabis sativa oil; Cannabidiol; Escin; Bromelain; Boswellia extract