I have to confess that a few years ago I was advising patients to go and get glucosamine for their dodgy knees. There can't be many GPs that haven't dropped it into the discussion with a patient with intractable osteoarthritic pain. The therapeutic options for worsening osteoarthritis seem to dwindle rapidly. Unfortunately, the evidence for any effect from glucosamine has been eroded nearly as quickly as the joints involved.