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Background. The main complaint of osteoarthritis (OA) patients is a moderate or severe pain, and the drugs most frequently used to reduce it are the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Objective: to examine the efficiency and safety of ketoprofen gel used for the treatment of knee OA patients, and also its effect on the severity of pain and improving quality of life. Materials and methods. At the premises of Clinical Physiology and Pathology of the Musculoskeletal System Department of the State Institution “D.F. Chebotarev Institute of Gerontology of the NAMS of Ukraine”, we have conducted a pilot study, which included 23 men and women aged 50–69 years with knee osteoarthritis stage 1–2. The patients were divided into two groups: group I — 13 persons whose treatment consisted of applying a thin layer of ketoprofen on the knee joint twice a day for 10 days, and group II — 10 individuals taking placebo (vaseline oil, which didn’t contain ketoprofen and active excipients) in the form of knee applications twice a day for 10 days. The study consisted of screening, visit after 10 days of therapy, and visit 20 days after discontinuation of therapy. At each visit, the intensity of pain and functional status of the knee joints were evaluated using the WOMAC scale (total score, subscales of pain, stiffness, daily activity), Lequesne index, and 15-meter test. In addition, a review of the articles from the following electronic medical databases was conducted: PubMed, Google Scholar and the Cochrane Library; there are a large amount of publications based on the effectiveness of different forms and groups of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and their comparative analysis. Results. In the group of patients who received ketoprofen we have registered: the reduction in the intensity of pain, stiffness, improvement of daily activity according to the WOMAC questionnaire subscales, and decrease of the time of the 15-meter test performance. Conclusions. Thus, ketoprofen was found to be an effective and safe agent for the local therapy of knee OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]