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| Trial | Doses allowed (mg) | Primary or secondary endpoint | Results | Remarks |
|
| Frestedt et al. [20] | 325 mg per tablet with 1-2 tablets to be taken every 4–6 hours as needed for pain | No | No significant differences between the two groups for rescue medication consumption at any single time point or over time | No figures given |
|
| Karlsson et al. [21] | ≤4000 mg/day could be taken as for unacceptable pain for more than 24 hours | No | Rescue medication usage was significantly better than under placebo | No figures given |
|
| Jacquet et al. [22] | Tablets equivalent to 500 mg paracetamol alone or combined with weak opiates (e.g., coproxamol or coparein) | Main outcome measure 500 mg paracetamol equivalent tablets per week (PET/week) measured each month | Single-component Paracetamol (number of users, tablets/week ± SD) Phytalgic 12 (21 ± 14.7) Placebo 15 (15.4 ± 10.4) | Add-on study to the usual symptomatic medication (analgesics and/or NSAIDs) |
|
| Krüger et al. [23] | 500 mg tablets; intake was permitted if necessary due to pain but not 48 hours before visits | Secondary endpoint, recorded daily by the patient in the diary and checked by the physician at each visit (pill counting) | Low acetaminophen consumption; differences between the groups not significant | No figures given |
|
| Puopolo et al. [24] | For breakthrough pain, if needed; no dose reported | Secondary endpoint; use was determined by tablet counts | Patients treated with etoricoxib or ibuprofen used significantly less paracetamol than those receiving placebo for breakthrough pain Paracetamol use in the etoricoxib and ibuprofen groups was similar | Figures not listed in the table of the key secondary results |
|
| Reginster et al. [25] | 325 mg tablets; use was restricted (it was not permitted during the initial 2 weeks of treatment) and recorded | No | No data shown | |
|
| Sawitzke et al. [26] | Up to 4 g daily could be taken, but patients were instructed not to take this drug within 24 h of a follow-up visit to allow for accurate measurement of their current pain levels | No | The use of paracetamol averaged 570 mg daily. The lowest use was in the celecoxib (465 mg) group and the highest use in the placebo group (645 mg) | Rank order of rescue drug use (least to greatest) exactly paralleled to that of the primary efficacy outcome |
|
| Schnitzer et al. [27] | 500 mg tablets for use in case of increased OA pain, with a maximum accepted dose of 2000 mg/day | Additional efficacy measures | Average daily tablets use in the placebo group 1.77 versus 1.33 to 1.43 in the naproxcinod groups and 1.34 in the naproxen group | |
|
| Yang et al. [28] | Maximum of 4 g/day | No | No data shown | Asked to stop analgesics at least 1 week before completing the questionnaires and visiting their treating orthopaedic surgeon |
|
| Thorne et al. [29] | 325 mg to 650 mg every 4 h to 6 h as required | Secondary end point; compared for each treatment, based on the average daily consumption, and was summarized each week | Significantly greater use during the placebo phase (3.4 ± 3.6 tablets/day) than during the CR tramadol phase (2.4 ± 3.1 tablets/day) | |
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