Tier 2 — strong

Efficacy and safety of low-molecular-weight collagen peptides in knee osteoarthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Sun-Young Park, Sang-Hyun Lee, Hyun Tae Kim, Hye-Jin Park, Do-Un Kim, Seung Un Kim, In Heo
Frontiers in Nutrition 2025 12:1644899

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 40977985
PubMed Central
PMC12445226
DOI
10.3389/fnut.2025.1644899
Competing interests
Authors included researchers affiliated with collagen industry firms NEWTREE Co., Ltd. and EVERSPRING Co., Ltd.; interpret alongside the published independent methodological commentary.

Study snapshot

DesignSix-month randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.
ModelAdults aged 40–75 with Kellgren–Lawrence grade I–II knee OA.
Sample80 randomized; ~25% attrition noted in later published commentary.
Intervention3 g/day selected low-molecular-weight collagen peptides versus placebo.
Duration180 days
EndpointsWOMAC pain; WOMAC function; VAS pain; Joint-space width; Inflammatory markers; Adverse events

What the study showed, in plain terms

A six-month trial of 3 g/day selected collagen peptides reported improvement on WOMAC knee pain and function in adults with early osteoarthritis. The result needs cautious interpretation because an independent published commentary identified baseline disease-severity imbalance, substantial attrition and inconsistent pain instruments.

Key findings

WOMAC pain improved versus placebo (p=0.006) and WOMAC physical-function and total scores improved (p=0.035 and p=0.028). Joint-space width and inflammatory markers did not improve significantly versus placebo.

What this study can and cannot tell us

An independent methodological commentary highlighted baseline KL grade imbalance (placebo 77.4% grade I versus collagen 51.7%), ~25% attrition, per-protocol analysis and the absence of significant VAS pain benefit. No evidence of disease-modifying cartilage repair.

Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology