## 3 Results
### Quality of Life Assessed by the WOMAC Index  
In the experimental group, the overall WOMAC score decreased from 32.7 \(\pm\) 13.6 at baseline to 19.3 \(\pm\) 11.7 at the end of the study (\(p\) = 0.001), and in the placebo group from 31.4 \(\pm\) 12.1 to 24.7 \(\pm\) 13.4 (\(p\) = 0.004). There were between-group differences in favor of the experimental group (Table 4). In the subscale of pain, statistically significant differences were found in the within-group comparison in the two study groups, whereas in the subscale of stiffness, the within-group comparison was statistically significant for the experimental group only, and between-group comparisons were also significant in favor of the experimental group. Physical function improved significantly in both study groups, but improvements were higher in the experimental group (Table 3).  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt}} \hline \hline
**WOMAC Score** & **Baseline** & **End of Study** & \
\begin{tabular}{} **Within-Group** \\ \(p\) **Value** \\ \end{tabular} &
\begin{tabular}{} **Between-Group** \\ \(p\) **Value** \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline Overall & & & & \\ \hline Cucumber extract (n = 29) & 32.7 \(\pm\) 13.6 & 19.3 \(\pm\) 11.7 & 0.001 & 0.038 \\ \hline Placebo (n = 26) & 31.4 \(\pm\) 12.1 & 24.7 \(\pm\) 13.4 & 0.004 & \\ \hline Pain & & & & \\ \hline Cucumber extract (n = 29) & 7.4 \(\pm\) 3.4 & 4.0 \(\pm\) 2.2 & 0.001 & 0.114 \\ \hline Placebo (n = 26) & 6.9 \(\pm\) 3.0 & 5.2 \(\pm\) 2.8 & 0.021 & \\ \hline Stiffness & & & & \\ \hline Cucumber extract (n = 29) & 3.1 \(\pm\) 1.9 & 1.7 \(\pm\) 1.5 & 0.001 & 0.034 \\ \hline Placebo (n = 26) & 2.6 \(\pm\) 1.4 & 2.2 \(\pm\) 1.3 & 0.207 & \\ \hline Physical function & & & & \\ \hline Cucumber extract (n = 29) & 22.2 \(\pm\) 10.3 & 13.6 \(\pm\) 9.3 & 0.001 & 0.089 \\ \hline Placebo (n = 26) & 21.9 \(\pm\) 9.2 & 17.0 \(\pm\) 10.4 & 0.003 & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}  
* Data expressed as mean \(\pm\) standard deviation (SD); WOMAC: Western Ontario McMaster Universities Arthritis.  
\end{table}
Table 4: Changes in WOMAC scores in the study groups.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt}} \hline \hline
**VAS Score** & \begin{tabular}{} **Cucumber Extract** (\(n\) = 29)** \\ \end{tabular} & \
\begin{tabular}{} **Placebo** (\(n\) = 26)** \\ \end{tabular} &
\begin{tabular}{} **Between-Group** \\ \(p\) **Value** \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline Baseline & 5.5 \(\pm\) 1.5 & 5.2 \(\pm\) 1.7 & 0.013 \\ \hline End of study & 1.7 \(\pm\) 1.2 & 2.9 \(\pm\) 2.6 & 0.013 \\ \hline Study weeks & & & \\ \hline Week 1 & 3.7 \(\pm\) 2.1 & 4.2 \(\pm\) 2.5 & \\ \hline Week 2 & 3.2 \(\pm\) 2.1 & 3.9 \(\pm\) 2.5 & \\ \hline Week 3 & 2.8 \(\pm\) 2.0 & 3.8 \(\pm\) 2.7 & \\ \hline Week 4 & 2.3 \(\pm\) 1.5 & 3.5 \(\pm\) 2.7 & 0.001 \\ \hline Week 5 & 1.7 \(\pm\) 1.4 * & 3.4 \(\pm\) 2.7 * & \\ \hline Week 6 & 1.7 \(\pm\) 1.4 * & 3.3 \(\pm\) 2.7 * & \\ \hline Week 7 & 1.8 \(\pm\) 1.3 * & 2.9 \(\pm\) 2.4 * & \\ \hline Week 8 & 1.7 \(\pm\) 1.2 * & 2.9 \(\pm\) 2.6 * & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}  
* Data expressed as mean \(\pm\) standard deviation (SD); VAS: visual analog scale;
* \(p\) < 0.05 indicates significant differences when compared with baseline.  
\end{table}
Table 3: Changes in VAS scores for intensity of knee pain in the study groups.