Undenatured type II collagen for knee osteoarthritis symptoms
What it found
In 191 people with knee osteoarthritis, a daily undenatured type II collagen supplement improved knee symptom scores over 180 days compared with placebo and with glucosamine plus chondroitin.
The supplement was well tolerated.
What they found
Studies in people
Overall knee symptoms
At day 180, the undenatured type II collagen group had a bigger drop in total WOMAC score than placebo and than glucosamine plus chondroitin. The authors report the difference was statistically significant against both.
Pain, stiffness, function
The collagen group improved on all three WOMAC subscales compared with placebo: pain, stiffness and physical function. It also improved pain and stiffness compared with glucosamine plus chondroitin.
Pain score and daily activities
The collagen group had a bigger drop in mean VAS pain score than both placebo and glucosamine plus chondroitin at day 180. It also had a bigger improvement in Lequesne Functional Index score, driven by daily activities.
Rescue medication
Fewer people in the collagen group used rescue medication (acetaminophen) than in the placebo group. Sixty people used rescue medication at least once: 28 in the placebo group, 21 in the glucosamine plus chondroitin group and 11 in the collagen group.
Blood and joint markers
CRP rose from baseline in all three groups with no difference between them. COMP fell in all groups with no difference between them, and IL-6 and MMP-3 showed similar non-significant falls in all groups.
Side effects
There were 45 adverse events: 9 in the placebo group, 28 in the glucosamine plus chondroitin group and 8 in the collagen group. The eight events in the collagen group were judged not related to the supplement, and no one withdrew because of an adverse event attributed to any study product.
What the authors conclude
“UC-II improved knee joint symptoms in knee OA subjects and was well-tolerated.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say UC-II, a nutritional ingredient containing undenatured type II collagen, significantly improved knee function in osteoarthritis subjects by day 180 compared with placebo and glucosamine plus chondroitin, and was well-tolerated.
- They believe additional research is warranted both to confirm and to define these findings more extensively.
- They state that additional studies that elucidate the mechanism for this supplement's actions are warranted.
How it was done
Current osteoarthritis therapies can ease symptoms in the near term but have limited impact on the progression of the disease. The authors wanted to test undenatured type II collagen against placebo and against a widely used joint supplement.
They randomly assigned 191 volunteers aged 40 to 75 with moderate-to-severe knee osteoarthritis to take undenatured type II collagen (40 mg), glucosamine hydrochloride plus chondroitin sulfate (1500 mg G and 1200 mg C), or placebo daily for 180 days. The trial ran at 13 centers in southern India, and 186 people were included in the analyses.
What it can’t tell you
- The trial lasted 180 days, so it cannot show whether the supplement helps or harms over longer periods.
- It cannot show whether undenatured type II collagen changes the underlying disease process in the knee, only how symptoms scored.
- The results apply to this specific supplement and dose in people with moderate-to-severe knee osteoarthritis, not to other collagen products or other groups.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of California Davis Health System, USA
The paper
- Title
- Efficacy and tolerability of an undenatured type II collagen supplement in modulating knee osteoarthritis symptoms: a multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Lugo JP, Saiyed ZM, Lane NE (2016). Efficacy and tolerability of an undenatured type II collagen supplement in modulating knee osteoarthritis symptoms: a multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Nutrition journal. doi:10.1186/s12937-016-0130-8Free full textPubMed 26822714DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error