Clinical Study on the Efficacy of Ginkgo biloba Extract in Adults with Knee Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by progressive deterioration of articular cartilage in several joints and is significant in weight‐bearing joints such as the knees and hips. Although the NSAIDs represent an effective treatment for OA, long‐term use has been linked to a variety of health issues, including problems with the digestive and cardiovascular systems. Ginkgo has a long history of usage in traditional Chinese medicine. Antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory effects are found in standardized Ginkgo biloba extract (EGB‐761) due to combined effect of flavonoids and ginkgo ides. The aim of this study is to assess the therapeutic efficacy of EGb‐761 on knee OA utilizing specific biomarkers. Simple randomization was used to allocate patients in a randomized double‐blind clinical study between two groups. Group A received EGb‐761 120mg capsules twice daily, whereas group B received starch capsules as a placebo. Total of 60 patients, 33 in Group A and 27 in Group B, were included in the study and followed up for 8 weeks. Both A and B populations were treated with standard treatment. The mean level of urinary cross‐linked C‐telopeptide of type II collagen (uCTX‐II) in group A decreased from 584.7 at baseline to 397.87 after 8 weeks of treatment. This decrement, although substantial, is nevertheless not statistically significant. Additionally, IL‐6 levels showed slight changes in both groups. And finally, TNF‐α level did not change significantly after 8 weeks of treatment. Knee OA patients administered EGb‐761 had lower levels of uCTX‐II than that recorded in patients administered standard treatment only. Additionally, EGb‐761 had no significant effect on IL‐6 and TNF‐α levels after 8 weeks of treatment. Pending further studies, these results provide important information regarding the use of EGb‐761 in knee OA patients.