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	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

To the Editor: Dr Geba and colleagues¹ reported that rofecoxib, 25 mg/d, was superior to celecoxib, 200 mg/d, and acetaminophen, 4000 mg/d, in treating osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. We lack important information for supporting this conclusion.

First, it is known that patients are more likely to comply with once-daily regimens² and that morning doses are less likely to be omitted.³ The report of the trial implied that the cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitors and their placebos were taken once daily, in the morning, while acetaminophen and its placebo were taken 4 times daily. Therefore, it is likely that suboptimal compliance had a large impact on the effect of acetaminophen. It would be helpful to the reader for the authors to report the compliance for the different groups, and to perform a subanalysis for efficacy in highly compliant patients.

Second, the authors should present the absolute values for outcome measures (both . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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RELATED ARTICLE

Efficacy of Rofecoxib, Celecoxib, and Acetaminophen in Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Randomized Trial
Gregory P. Geba, Arthur L. Weaver, Adam B. Polis, Mary E. Dixon, Thomas J. Schnitzer, and for the VACT Group
JAMA. 2002;287(1):64-71.
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