Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40524845›Full record

ArticleCureus2025

Multimodal Pain Management in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Comparative Study of Pregabalin and Duloxetine as Adjuncts to Naproxen.

Muhammad Nauman Zafar, Syeda Fatima, Saima Ambreen, Muhammad Khurram, Tahir Iqbal, Muhammad Arif, Afzaal Aleem Khan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Muhammad Nauman ZafarMedicine, Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi, PAK.
Syeda FatimaMedicine, Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi, PAK.
Saima AmbreenMedicine, Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi, PAK.
Muhammad KhurramMedicine, Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi, PAK.
Tahir IqbalMedicine, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, PAK.
Muhammad ArifMedicine, Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi, PAK.
Afzaal Aleem KhanMedicine, Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi, PAK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis single-blinded, randomised, prospective study was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of a combination drug regimen including pregabalin and duloxetine as adjuncts to naproxen in pain management of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

methodsOne hundred and five patients were inducted into the study following the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Using simple randomisation, patients were allocated into group A (naproxen only), group B (naproxen + duloxetine), and group C (naproxen + pregabalin). Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores were used to measure pain severity, while secondary outcomes of sleep quality and depression were assessed by using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scale, respectively. Assessments were done at day 0, week 4, and week 12 in the study. Appropriate tests were utilised to analyse the data.

resultsMean pain scores at 12 weeks were significantly lower in group B (p=0.009 for VAS, p=0.002 for WOMAC) and group C (p=0.012 for VAS, p=0.005 for WOMAC), as compared to group A (naproxen only). Sleep quality (p=0.00) and depression scales (p=0.00) were also similarly improved in the combination drug regimen groups as compared to the naproxen-only group.

conclusionAddition of either duloxetine or pregabalin to the naproxen drug regimen may result in better management and improved quality of life in patients suffering from knee OA.

Indexed as

depressioneffectivenessknee osteoarthritispainsleep quality

Identifiers

PMID40524845
PMCPMC12168876

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.