923 - Effect of Cetylated Fatty Acid Supplementation on Low Back Facet Joint Arthritis

Objectives: Axial low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of disability worldwide and lumbar facet joint arthritis (FJA) is a primary cause of LBP. First-line treatments include NSAIDs; however, their chronic use often leads to undesired side effects. Cetylated Fatty Acids (CFAs) have been shown to decrease production of inflammatory mediators, with limited documented side effects. This study evaluates the impact of CFA supplementation on FJA-related low back pain. We hypothesize CFA supplementation will reduce LBP and reported disability with minimal adverse effects.

Design: Twenty-eight patients (17 male, 11 female) were recruited, with an average age of 61.8 (±17.2) years and average BMI of 24.7 kg/m² (±3.9). Patients over twenty-one years of age with axial back pain from facet degenerative joint disease ( >3 months duration) met inclusion criteria. Exclusion criteria were: patients on narcotic medications, current use of pain patch, pregnancy or breast feeding, and LBP from traumatic injury. Subjects were given a 4-week supply of CFA intervention, consisting of an oral supplement gel twice per day with an 8-hr transdermal patch. The primary outcome was patient physical disability using pre- and post-RMDQ scores. Secondary outcomes included pain using the NPRS scale, adverse effects, and reported outcomes.

Results: After 4 weeks of intervention, preliminary analysis yielded a statistically significant reduction in both RMDQ Disability scores (p-value=0.002) and NPRS Reported Pain values (p-value=0.04). Notably, 21.4% of patients reported skin irritation to the transdermal patch and 10.7% of patients reported general GI upset or diarrhea.

Conclusions: A combined 4-week oral and transdermal CFA system significantly reduced patient-reported disability and pain outcomes. Notably, over 25% of patients experienced mild to moderate GI and/or skin irritation side effects from intervention. While necessary follow-up studies including a larger cohort and control group are warranted, CFA supplementation shows potential in improving LBP and overall function for patients.