Chondroguard is one of the representatives of chondroprotective drugs. This product contains the well-known substance chondroitin sulfate, an activator of regenerative processes in joint tissue.
This medicine is widely used for diseases of the musculoskeletal system such as osteochondrosis, spondyloarthritis, arthrosis, osteoporosis, traumatic damage to osteochondral structures. However, according to scientists, the effectiveness of drugs in this group is very doubtful.
Let's consider reviews from patients who took Chondrogard and the opinions of doctors who prescribe it to their patients.
Comparison of the effectiveness of Injectran and Chondrogard
The effectiveness of Injectran is quite similar to Chondroguard - this means that the ability of the drug substance to provide the maximum possible effect is similar.
For example, if the therapeutic effect of Injectran is more pronounced, then using Chondrogard, even in large doses, will not achieve this effect.
Also, the speed of therapy - an indicator of the speed of therapeutic action - is approximately the same for Injectran and Chondrogard. And bioavailability, that is, the amount of a drug reaching its site of action in the body, is similar. The higher the bioavailability, the less it will be lost during absorption and use by the body.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of the drug Chondrogard in the treatment of osteoarthritis with various modes of administration
The optimal drug for the treatment of primary osteoarthritis is Chondroguard (chondroitin sulfate for intramuscular administration at a concentration of 100 mg of active substance in 1 ml of solution). Chondroguard is a high-molecular mucopolysaccharide that affects metabolic processes in hyaline cartilage; the drug reduces degenerative changes in the cartilage tissue of joints, accelerates its recovery processes, and stimulates the synthesis of proteoglycans. To evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of the drug Chondrogard, an open clinical trial was conducted on the basis of the rheumatology office of the Federal Medical Clinical Institution of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in the Ulyanovsk region, which included 60 patients (32 women and 28 men) with bilateral primary gonarthrosis (36 patients) and bilateral primary coxarthrosis ( 24 patients). The study design followed the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Outcome Measures in Arthritis Clinical Trials (OMERACT III) guidelines and was a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, active-controlled trial. The diagnosis of osteoarthritis was established in accordance with the 1987 ACR criteria [6, 7]. All patients, whose average age was 52.36±4.04 years, were divided into 2 groups (Table 1). Patients of group 1 (n=30) received only Chondrogard intramuscularly at a dose of 200 mg daily, for a course of 20 injections. Patients of group 2 (n=30) – Chondroguard IM at a dose of 200 mg (per course of 20 injections) according to an intermittent regimen (every other day); At the same time, it was allowed to use the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) Nemulex as needed (for intense pain) in a daily dose of no more than 200 mg. Accordingly, in patients of group 1, the course of therapy was 20 calendar days, in patients of group 2 – 40.
In patients in both groups, the total Lequesne index (severity index for gonarthrosis and coxarthrosis), pain index on a visual analogue scale (VAS), therapeutic effect according to the patient and doctor, quality of life (in accordance with the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire) were studied. , side effects of therapy were assessed. Clinical parameters were determined before the start of therapy and after its completion. Criteria for inclusion in the study: the presence of primary osteoarthritis of the knee and hip joints of stage I–III according to Kellgren-Lawrence [8], the presence of pain in the target joint from 40 mm according to VAS, the Lequesne index from 4 to 12 points, the patient’s consent to participate in the clinical trial (all patients signed informed consent before starting therapy). Exclusion criteria from the study: the patient, in addition to primary osteoarthritis, had inflammatory arthropathy or systemic connective tissue disease, previous intra-articular administration of glucocorticoids, physiotherapeutic treatment during the previous month of the study. Statistical processing of the material was carried out using Microsoft Office Excel 2010 and Statistica Base 6.0. Methods of descriptive statistics and nonparametric methods were used. Statistical significance of the indicators was determined as p<0.05. When describing the characteristics, the median (M) and standard deviation (σ – standard deviation) were used. If the distribution deviates from the normal law, it is incorrect to use the average value, since it is too sensitive a parameter to the so-called “outliers” - values that are uncharacteristic for the sample being studied, values that are too large or too small. In this case, to characterize the central tendency in the sample, another parameter should be used - the median. This parameter (unlike the average value) is resistant to outliers. The median can also be used in the case of a normal distribution - then it coincides with the mean value [10]. In this clinical observation, preference was given to the median, since the studied characteristics had a normal distribution. When comparing two dependent groups on a quantitative basis, Student's T-test was used.
Scatterplots are commonly used to visually examine the relationship between two variables. This type of statistical graph is a composite graph with the relationship between two variables and the frequency distributions for each variable [10]. In this clinical observation, the relationship between initial data (Lequesne index before treatment) and the results obtained by the end of Chondroguard therapy was investigated. When assessing the Lequesne index in patients in both groups after completing the course of therapy with Chondroguard, a statistically significant decrease in pain intensity, an increase in the maximum walking distance, and an increase in functional activity were revealed (p*=0.00191, p**=0.00167; Fig. 1) .
According to the results of the clinical study, a statistically significant decrease in pain intensity according to VAS was revealed in both groups of patients (p = 0.0009). The bar chart (Fig. 2) displays the distribution of individual parameter measurements, the height of each bar indicating the frequency of occurrence of parameter values in the selected range, and the number of columns indicating the number of selected ranges. An important advantage of this graph is that it allows you to visualize trends in changes in the measured quality parameters of an object and visually evaluate the law of their distribution. The quality of life of patients was assessed using the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire [9]. This questionnaire consists of questions regarding patients’ views on their health; it contains 36 questions and 8 scales. According to the results of the study, a significant improvement in the quality of life was noted in all patients participating in the study, namely: an increase in physical activity, including self-care, walking, climbing stairs; increased scores on the Role Physical functioning scale; reducing the intensity of pain; improved overall health and increased resistance to disease; increasing vitality scale indicators; increasing the level of social activity; increasing the level of role-emotional functioning; improvement in psychological health (p<0.0001). In patients in group 2, on the 10th day of intermittent therapy with Chondrogard, the need for NSAIDs significantly decreased - 23 patients stopped taking Nemulex, which indicates the analgesic effect of Chondrogard.
Adverse reactions (side effects of therapy) such as short-term pain at the site of Chondrogard injection, abdominal bloating and increased arthralgia were noted in 3 (10%) patients in the 1st group and in 4 (13%) in the 2nd group of patients. All adverse reactions were stopped by the prescription of symptomatic therapy and did not require discontinuation of Chondrogard. Solidarity was noted when assessing the effectiveness of therapy with Chondroguard by doctors and patients: very good - 37%, good - 58%, satisfactory - 5%, bad - 0%. When assessing the time of onset of the clinical effect (in days) in patients of groups 1 and 2, a tendency was revealed towards a decrease in pain intensity and an increase in functionality by the middle of the course of therapy: in patients of group 1 - by the 10th day of therapy, Group 2 – by the 20th day of therapy.
A range diagram is used to compare the ranges of values of several variables (or several functions) by presenting them on a single graph using common scales [10]. In our case, the Lequesne index indicators were compared in groups 1 and 2 before and after treatment. The average graph (Fig. 3) shows that the effectiveness of Chondrogard in groups 1 and 2 was approximately the same (p* =0.00071, p** =0.00067), which allows the drug to be used in clinical practice as in the form of daily intramuscular injections, and intermittently (every other day). The comparative effectiveness of Chondroguard therapy in groups 1 and 2 was assessed using Student's T-criterion. The T-test for dependent samples is very useful in those situations that often arise in practice when an important source of within-group variation (or error) can be easily identified and excluded from the analysis [10]. This refers to experiments in which two comparison groups are based on the same population of observations (subjects) and are tested twice (before and after treatment). The results of the analysis revealed a statistically significant decrease in pain intensity and improvement in functional indicators in patients in both groups (p = 0.0000001; Table 2).
Based on the results of an open clinical trial, the effectiveness of Chondrogard as a symptom-modifying drug in the treatment of primary osteoarthritis of large joints was revealed. Chondroguard has a significant analgesic effect and allows you to expand functionality and improve the quality of life in patients with primary gonarthrosis and coxarthrosis. The drug is well tolerated in therapeutic doses, side effects are minor and do not require discontinuation.
Thus, taking into account the comparable effectiveness of the 1st and 2nd regimens of therapy used in this study, the drug Chondrogard can be recommended for use according to the 1st regimen when providing medical care in an inpatient setting and using the 2nd regimen for outpatient treatment. outpatient treatment.
Literature 1. Alekseeva L.I., Tsvetkova E.S. Osteoarthrosis: from the past to the future // Scientific and practical rheumatology. 2009. App. No. 2. pp. 31–37. 2. Drozdov V.N., Kim V.A. Diagnosis and treatment of osteoarthritis. Guidelines. M.: MIC, 2010. 23 p. 3. Karateev A.E. Treatment of osteoarthritis from the point of view of the safety of pharmacotherapy. // Modern rheumatology. 2009. No. 1. P.1–8. 4. Loeser RF Jr. Aging and the etiopathogenesis and treatment of osteoarthritis // Rheum. Dis. Clin. North Am. 2003. Vol. 26. No. 3. P. 547–567. 5. Bierma-Zeinstra S., Bohnen A., Ginai A. et al. Validity of American College of Rheumatology criteria for diagnosing hip osteoarthritis in primary care research // J. Rheumatol. 2003. Vol. 26. No. 5. P.1129–1133. 6. Shostak N.A. Osteoarthrosis: current issues of diagnosis and treatment // Breast Cancer. 2014. No. 4. P. 278. 7. Zhang W., Donerty M., Peat G. et al. EULAR evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis // Ann. Rheum. Dis. 2010. Vol. 69(3). P. 483–489. 8. Kellgren JH, Lawrence JS Radiographic assessment of osteoarthritis // Ann. Rheum. Dis. 1957. Vol.16 (4). P. 494–501. 9. Amirdzhanova V.N., Goryachev D.V., Korshunov N.I. and others. Population indicators of quality of life according to the SF-36 questionnaire (results of the multicenter study of the quality of life “MIRAGE”) // Scientific and practical rheumatology. 2008. No. 1. 10. Thomas A. Lang, Michelle Secic. How To Report Statistics in Medicine // Amer. Coll. Physicians. 2006.
Comparison of safety of Injectran and Chondrogard
The safety of a drug includes many factors.
At the same time, in Injectran it is quite similar to Chondrogard. It is important where the drug is metabolized: drugs are excreted from the body either unchanged or in the form of products of their biochemical transformations. Metabolism occurs spontaneously, but most often involves major organs such as the liver, kidneys, lungs, skin, brain and others. When assessing the metabolism of Injectran, as well as Chondrogard, we look at which organ is the metabolizing organ and how critical the effect on it is.
The risk-benefit ratio is when the prescription of a drug is undesirable, but justified under certain conditions and circumstances, with the obligatory observance of caution in use. At the same time, Injectran does not have any risks when used, just like Chondrogard.
Also, when calculating safety, it is taken into account whether only allergic reactions occur or possible dysfunction of the main organs. In other matters, as well as the reversibility of the consequences of using Injectran and Chondrogard.
HONDROGUARD (solution)
remember yourself more and more often.
I could raise my left arm every other day. Not long ago, my dad was hospitalized with pneumonia. In order to exclude the possibility of infection, and the deadline for the next study was approaching, I underwent FOG. They didn’t give me the FOG results, but sent me for further examination. It turned out that the doctor discovered problems with the clavicular-humeral joint. They were so serious that it became noticeable on fluorography. They diagnosed arthrosis. The neurologist prescribed Amelotex for muscle relaxation and pain relief, and also recommended taking chondroprotectors. I know from myself that now I would definitely forget to take the pills on time, so I asked to be prescribed chondroprotectors in the form of injections. She prescribed me a solution in the form of injections "Chondroguard".
On the box you can find information about the composition. The main component here is sodium chondroitin sulfate. This is the substance that restores cartilage tissue. The drug should be stored at room temperature; I carried it in my bag.
The expiration date is stamped on the box. It's hard to see. Advice to the manufacturer is to print this information. The shelf life of Chondrogard is 2 years. Not very big. However, the entire package is used at once.
The box contains 2 blisters of 5 ampoules. Each blister is sealed. It's convenient, the ampoules don't fall out.
The drug "Chondroguard" has small but clear instructions. This drug is prescribed for osteochondrosis to improve joint mobility and restore cartilage tissue.
The drug has no major contraindications. The only thing is that you should not use it during the growth of the body (children), as well as pregnant and lactating women. Then, through breast milk and the mother’s bloodstream, excess substances can reach the baby, which will lead to improper formation of the skeleton and cartilage tissue.
Take Chondrogard in a course of up to 30 injections. I was prescribed 10 intramuscular injections. The drug is effective for 48 hours, which is why it is prescribed every other day.
Chondroguard is produced in Russia. It's average in price. A package of 10 2 ml ampoules cost me 1383 rubles. A 1ml package costs 799 rubles.
If we compare drugs in tablets, then Chondrogard is somewhat more profitable. The same Teraflex costs about 2,200 rubles for 100 tablets. As I already said, you need to drink it in a course of at least 3 months. And this is at least 2 packages.
Chondroguard is placed intramuscularly in the butt while lying down. I was given injections at the clinic, so I didn’t feel any pain, although I don’t like injections. One of the nurses advised me to warm up the ampoule in my hands before the injection so that the drug would be better absorbed. Unfortunately, I didn't have time for this. But even so, I didn’t feel any particular pain or bumps at the injection site.
Today I gave my last injection. What can I say about the effect: like most similar chondroprotectors, the result cannot be verified, that is, I cannot see whether my cartilage tissue has become stronger or not. The only thing is that the clavicular-humeral joint practically stopped hurting. I hope this is the result of Chondrogard.
The neurologist warned me that osteochondrosis cannot be cured. I will have to support my cartilage tissue with similar chondroprotectors all my life. Doctors advise taking courses of treatment with such drugs 1-2 times a year.
Most likely next time I will also choose an injectable chondroprotector!
Comparison of addiction between Injectran and Chondrogard
Like safety, addiction also involves many factors that must be considered when evaluating a drug.
So, the totality of the values of such parameters as “o syndrome” in Injectran is quite similar to the similar values in Chondrogard. Withdrawal syndrome is a pathological condition that occurs after the cessation of intake of addictive or dependent substances into the body. And resistance is understood as initial immunity to a drug; in this it differs from addiction, when immunity to a drug develops over a certain period of time. The presence of resistance can only be stated if an attempt has been made to increase the dose of the drug to the maximum possible. At the same time, Injectran has a fairly low “syndrome” value, just like Chondrogard.
Patient reviews
“I have had problems with joints for many years. During this time, the stomach has already become accustomed to the fact that a large amount of analgesics enters it all the time. Unfortunately, there is no radical medication that would restore the joint 100% (except for surgery, of course). However, it is possible to somewhat slow down the development of destructive processes.
Using chondroguard every six months, I managed to reduce the number of exacerbations to a minimum. In addition, the active inflammation phase is not so painful. The exacerbation also passes quite quickly. The main thing is not to skip the course of treatment, then the disease will recede somewhat.”
Varvara
“For a long time I suffered from terrible, unbearable back pain. The fact is that in my youth I led an overly active lifestyle (mountain climbing, kayaking down the river, scuba diving), and as a result I got a cold in my back. Any changes in weather or carrying heavy loads led to pain.
At first, diclofenac in ointment helped, but over time I had to switch to more serious means. So I tried chondroguard injections. Halfway through the course, the pain went away, as if it had never happened.”
Karina
“A year ago, doctors diagnosed osteoarthritis. Although I did not immediately believe the seriousness of my illness, I was forced to agree to treatment. It was necessary to complete a course of thirty injections of chondrogard. I was scared by so many procedures, but soon after the start of the course I noticed an improvement in my well-being. In general, by the thirtieth final injection there was no longer any need to think about pain.”
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Natalia
“Chondroguard came to our family as a life-saving vaccine against terrible pain in the joints of the legs. My wife and I are close not only in temperament, but also in health problems. We tried various drugs, but they either did not help, or the effect evaporated after the end of the course of treatment.
Recently the doctor prescribed me a course of chondroguard. My wife and I decided to go through it together and injected the medicine according to the instructions. Relief came to both of them. Now you can always find this remedy in our family medicine cabinet (as they say, just in case).”
Karen
“After a shoulder injury in my youth, I could not lift my left arm above my head. When trying to lift a limb, hellish pain arose, which could only be dulled with painkillers. As I later learned during examination, I have arthrosis.
The doctor tried to persuade me to start treatment, and I gave in. A week of chondroguard injections did not give complete healing, but I felt that I was feeling better when, sleepy in the morning, I accidentally took out a mug from the top shelf with my sore hand. The husband even choked on what he saw. Another week and I was picking cherries in the garden. I really hope that the pain will never return again.”
Vita
“I tore off my lower back when I was uprooting a tree with my son. At first, the illness seemed to be cured with ointments from the first aid kit, but six months later a sudden “lumbago” occurred. I dropped a coin and could not pick it up due to insurmountable pain. Relatives helped me get to the hospital, where a course of chondroguard was prescribed.
It started helping almost immediately, and the doctors noticed that I had excellent tolerance to the injections and prescribed a second course in advance. I am glad that the drug is not expensive and helps for a long time. Now, by the fall I’m preparing for a possible exacerbation, but I’m no longer afraid.”
Anatoly
“I completed a full course of injections with chondrogard, which began to help from the very first week, but after the completion of the thirtieth injection, I moved freely for only two months. It seems that the miracle work has time limits and requires repeated courses.
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Completed the second course. This time it lasted a little less than six months. Among the advantages of such treatment, I can only name mastery of the skill of injecting into a muscle without thinking or aiming. “Soon I’ll go and work part-time at a local clinic so that the price of the medicine can be paid off.”
Gennady
“I took these terrible chondrogard injections for two courses in a row. You read on the Internet that the pain goes away with the first injection and never returns. The harsh reality demonstrates through personal example that even a double course of a “miracle” remedy, together with taking painkillers, does not guarantee healing or at least an end to the torment of back pain.
I have suffered from pain for twenty years and apparently I will continue to do so until pharmacists finally come up with something more effective. I still hope that there will be some new effective treatments for coxarthrosis.”
Irina
“I haven’t believed in fairy tales about magic pills and ointments for a long time. I have osteoarthritis and it is progressing systematically, like any other person.
There is no expectation of healing, new cartilage does not grow to replace the old ones, so once or twice I inject a course of chondroguard with various anti-inflammatory drugs. The pain goes away for a while and I’m happy with that.”
Ivan
“A month ago I caught myself thinking that something was missing when I went to bed. I didn’t immediately understand what exactly. Then I realized that I was injecting the 2nd dozen injections of chondroguard, my knees no longer hurt. And this is in cold autumn weather. Previously, I would have suffered all evening, only then fell asleep. I hope that upon completion of the course there will be no return of pain.”
Olesya
“I’m afraid to jinx it, but now the 12th injection from the course has helped me get rid of osteochondrosis of the hip joint. I take 1 ml and don’t risk violating the doctor’s instructions.”
Hope
Comparison of side effects of Injectran and Chondrogard
Side effects or adverse events are any adverse medical event that occurs in a subject after administration of a drug.
Injectran's side effects are almost the same as those of Chondrogard. They both have few side effects. This implies that the frequency of their occurrence is low, that is, the indicator of how many cases of an undesirable effect of treatment are possible and registered is low. The undesirable effect on the body, the strength of influence and the toxic effect of Injectran are similar to Chondroguard: how quickly the body recovers after taking it and whether it recovers at all.
Comparison of ease of use of Injectran and Chondrogard
This includes dose selection taking into account various conditions and frequency of doses. At the same time, it is important not to forget about the release form of the drug; it is also important to take it into account when making an assessment.
The ease of use of Injectran is approximately the same as that of Chondroguard. However, they are not convenient enough to use.
The drug ratings were compiled by experienced pharmacists who studied international research. The report is generated automatically.
Last update date: 2020-12-04 13:46:34
