Etodolac Nanogel as an Adjunct to Physiotherapy for Knee Osteoarthritis

Overview

Brief Summary: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common, disabling condition affecting the weight-bearing knee joint, leading to pain, reduced function, and muscle weakness, particularly of the quadriceps. Strengthening exercises are recommended to improve joint stability, physical function, and slow disease progression. Etodolac, a selective NSAID approved for osteoarthritis, has proven analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. This study investigates the adjunctive effect of a topical Etodolac-loaded solid lipid nanoparticle gel combined with traditional physiotherapy in patients with knee OA. Thirty patients with mild to moderate unilateral tibiofemoral OA will be randomized into two groups: traditional physiotherapy alone or physiotherapy plus Etodolac gel. Outcomes including pain, knee function, functional performance, quadriceps strength, and proprioception will be assessed at baseline and after four weeks. The study aims to determine whether adding topical Etodolac enhances the benefits of standard physiotherapy in managing knee OA.

This randomized clinical trial investigates the effect of adding a topical Etodolac-loaded solid lipid nanoparticle gel to traditional physiotherapy in patients with mild to moderate unilateral knee osteoarthritis (OA). Thirty patients aged 45-60 years will be randomly assigned to either physiotherapy alone (control) or physiotherapy plus Etodolac nanogel (experimental) for 4 weeks. Outcomes include pain (VAS), knee function (WOMAC), functional performance (TUG, 2MWT), quadriceps strength, and proprioception. The study aims to determine whether the combination therapy provides superior pain relief, improved joint function, and enhanced muscle performance compared with physiotherapy alone, while potentially reducing systemic NSAID exposure