Abstract:

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a highly prevalent degenerative joint disease, characterized by pain, deformity and limited function, which represents a substantial burden for affected individuals, families, and the society. Topical medicine is a large class of commonly used interventions for the treatment of OA. However, in current clinical practice, there are various types of topical medicine with different components, mechanisms of action and varied dosage forms. At present, there is no consensus on the application of topical medicine in clinical implementation. Therefore, how to choose topical medicine effectively and correctly is an issue that clinicians concern about. The present guideline was initiated by the Joint Surgery Branch of the Chinese Orthopaedic Association. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach, the scientificity, transparency and applicability ranking tools (STAR), the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE)Ⅱ, and the Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in Healthcare (RIGHT) were utilized to formulate nine evidence-based recommendations based on nine most concerned clinical questions from practitioners in primary clinics in China. This guideline intended to improve the scientificity of topical medicine for OA ultimately.

Key words: Osteoarthritis, Clinical practice guideline, Administration, topical