The role of acetaminophen in the management of patients with osteoarthritis

Both the incidence and prevalence of osteoarthritis increase with advancing age. Management of osteoarthritis in older adults focuses on reducing pain and other symptoms, minimizing functional limitation and disability from the disease, and avoiding the side effects associated with pharmacologic therapy. This article first briefly reviews the clinical pharmacology of acetaminophen and then summarizes the evidence supporting the use of acetaminophen in the management of patients with osteoarthritis. We conclude that acetaminophen, when given at full doses of 4,000 mg/day, is more efficacious than placebo and has comparable efficacy to ibuprofen in the management of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee who have mild to moderate pain. Thus, acetaminophen merits a trial as initial therapy based on its cost-effectiveness and safety profile relative to NSAIDs.