Figure 1.

Flow chart of the patients who participated in the clinical trial. Evaluations of physical activity and pain scores, serum biochemistry, haematology, urine biochemistry and proinflammatory cytokines were done at baseline (day 0) and on days 7, 30, 60 and 90 during follow up. Assessments of matrix metalloproteinase-3 were done on days 0 and 90 only.