Successful use of a moderate analgesic (Fortagesic) in the symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis.

In a between-patient single blind controlled trial, two groups of patients with osteoarthritis were treated for two weeks with either Fortagesic or naproxen tablets. Onset of analgesia was significantly more rapid with Fortagesic than with naproxen. Other assessments favoured Fortagesic but the differences were not statistically significant. It is concluded that Fortagesic can be successfully used to fill the gap between mild analgesics and the anti-inflammatory agents in the symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis.