The Comparison of the Efficacy and Adverse Drug Reaction ofCelecoxib and Diclofenac in the Treatment ofOsteoarthritis in Korean: Multicenter Trial

Objective: Long-term use of the analgesic acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the treatment of osteoarthritis is limited due to the lack of effectiveness and presence of side effects. Celecoxib is a selective inhibitor of cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2 and expected to help NSAIDs in expressing the effective anti-inflammatory effect by not inhibiting COX-1. Thus, 200 mg of celecoxib and 100 mg of slow releasing diclofenac were compared for their effectiveness and safety in Korean patients with knee osteoarthritis. Methods: We administered 200 mg of celecoxib or 100 mg of slow releasing diclofenac in 223 randomly selected patients with knee osteoarthritis for 4 weeks. The effectiveness of these