Osteoarthritis of the knee is a common condition that causes pain and stiffness as a result of thinning of your articular cartilage. It is estimated to affect over 5 million people in the United Kingdom. Treatment options range from non-pharmacological methods such as therapeutic exercises/physiotherapy, weight management (if relevant) to pharmacological methods such as pain-killers (oral or topical) or knee joint injections. In advanced cases, a knee replacement may be considered.
However, quite often patients have pain that impacts daily activities despite their osteoarthritis not being severe enough to be considered suitable for surgical intervention. If the pain remains significant despite exhausting non-pharmacological and pain-killers, one option to consider is injection therapy into your knee joint. There are a number different injections available:
Steroid - this is the most commonly used and the only one endorsed by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE). In the correct circumstances, this can be a useful tool but generally, the effects not thought to be long-lasting. On occasions, patients may see longer term benefits when the steroid breaks the cycle of pain and inflammation.
Hyaluronic acid - this is a substance found inside your knee joint that helps with lubrication. In an osteoarthritic knee, there is less hyaluronic acid on a background of roughened cartilage surfaces. The injection is aimed at improving lubrication and can then improve pain you may experience. It is thought to be able to provide symptomatic relief for between six-months to one-year at best. Results are equivocal with some patients benefiting and others not. NICE have recommended against use of hyaluronic acid for osteoarthritis of the knee.
Platelet-rich plasma - Platelets are found in your blood and they are best known for their importance in clotting blood. However, platelets also contain hundreds of proteins called growth factors that are very important in the healing of injuries. Injection of PRP into your osteoarthritic knee may promote healing and lead to improved pains. NICE has suggested that the evidence for its efficacy is limited but has also confirmed no major safety concerns in using it for knee osteoarthritis.
Arthrosamid - a relatively newer injection therapy composed of a non-biodegrable hydrogel that aims to cushion your osteoarthritic knee joint. The advantage of Arthrosamid over substances such as hyaluronic acid is that it has been designed to integrate into the lining of your knee joint (synovium). Through this, it is thought to be able to provide positive effects in the region of up to five-years.
Do you feel that you fit into the above category and are wishing to explore the option of a knee injection? Mr Kosuge would be delighted to discuss any of the above non-operative treatment options with you.
To book an appointment with Mr Kosuge:
Telephone - 01279602675.
