Outcome measures at baseline and 6 weeks. Values are mean (SD).
| Measure | Mean (SD) Baseline Prednisolone | Mean (SD) Change Prednisolone | Mean (SD) Baseline Placebo | Mean (SD) Change Placebo | Mean Difference in Change (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VAS (0–100 mm) | 65.3 (17.5) | −20.5 (−14.7 to −26.3) | 65.2 (17.8) | −10.6 (−4.2 to −17.0) | 9.9 (4.8 to 15.0)* |
| WOMAC Pain Score (0–20) | 9.9 (6.6) | −3.0 (−0.9 to −5.1) | 9.9 (6.9) | −1.4 (−0.7 to −2.1) | 1.6 (0.7 to 2.5)† |
| WOMAC Function Score (0–68) | 43.1 (11.5) | −13.5 (−10.0 to −17.0) | 43.5 (11.7) | −4.0 (−0.7 to −7.3) | 9.5 (3.7 to 15.3)* |
| WOMAC Stiffness Score (0–8) | 6.4 (2.6) | −1.9 (−0.5 to −3.3) | 6.5 (2.5) | −0.5 (−0.1 to −1.0) | 1.4 (0.5 to 2.3)† |
| PGA (0–100 mm VAS) | 66.7 (20.3) | −22.1 (−11.2 to −33.0) | 66.5 (19.9) | −6.4 (−2.1 to −10.7) | 15.7 (5.3 to 26.1)* |
| Six-min walk distance (m) | 358.1 (19.5) | 105.8 (75.9 to 135.7) | 358.5 (19.1) | 18.9 (9.0 to 28.8) | 86.9 (39.8 to 134.0)† |
| IL-1 (pg/ml) | 20.5 (8.9) | −6.4 (−2.1 to −10.7) | 20.3 (9.4) | −2.1 (−1.0 to −3.2) | 4.3 (1.3 to 7.3)† |
| IL-6 (pg/ml) | 5.8 (6.5) | −1.8 (−0.5 to −3.1) | 5.7 (6.2) | −0.6 (−0.2 to −1.0) | 1.2 (0.4 to 2.0)* |
| TNF-α (pg/ml) | 15.8 (9.8) | −4.7 (−2.1 to −7.3) | 15.9 (9.4) | −1.4 (−0.6 to −2.2) | 3.3 (0.9 to 5.7)† |
| hsCRP (mg/l) | 3.8 (1.8) | −1.2 (−0.2 to −2.2) | 3.7 (1.9) | −0.5 (−0.04 to −1.1) | 0.7 (0.1 to 1.3)† |