ORTHOTECH

Compare and Contrast the efficaciousness of solely use of drug supplements in management of severe knee osteoarthritis for a physically active patient, considering knee joints biomechanics

The management of severe knee osteoarthritis (OA) in a physically active patient requires addressing both structural cartilage degradation and mechanical joint loading.

Relying solely on drug supplements (e.g., glucosamine, chondroitin, curcumin, collagen) is generally ineffective for managing severe (bone-on-bone) OA and fails to address the biomechanical requirements of an active patient. While some supplements show potential for pain relief in mild-to-moderate cases, they cannot reverse the structural damage of severe OA or correct the biomechanical imbalances (e.g., increased knee adduction moment) that drive progression.