Management of Osteoarthritis: Current conservative therapeutic approaches

Prof. Dr. med. Karsten Dreinhoefer, Medical Director of the Dept. of Orthopedics, Medical Park Humboldtmuehle in Berlin as well as professor at the Charité Berlin, has provided updated insights on the conservative management of osteoarthritis, and identified the disease as having a very heterogenic background and clinical picture with hitherto no known curative therapy. Current pharmacological therapy options are associated with significant side effects and contraindications. New approaches like nerve growth factor antibodies, cathepsin-K-inhibitors and senolytic drugs are discussed. Oral Enzyme therapy is promising and assessed as having a favorable safety profile in a meta-analysis but needs further substantiation that is to come. In general the patient’s expectation may need guidance towards more realistic therapy goals.