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Viscosupplementation treatment of arthritis pain

Current Pain and Headache Reports volume 13, Article number: 440 (2009) Cite this article

Abstract

With the aging of the baby boomer generation, the number of patients with osteoarthritis (OA) is expected to swell, posing treatment challenges. Viscosupplementation, in which hyaluronic acid (HA) is injected into the knee joint, has evolved into an important part of our current therapeutic regimen in addressing the patient with knee pain due to OA. Although suffering from lack of an “evidence-based” approach, and largely funded by industry, there is a growing body of outcome data demonstrating the efficacy of HA in decreasing pain and improving function in patients with knee OA, although no evidence indicates that HA is in any way chondroprotective. The clinical success of HA has led to the ongoing introduction of various forms of HA, although little data are available to justify one over the other.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedics, George Washington University, 900 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC, 20037, USA

    Michael Benke

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  1. Michael Benke
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  2. Benjamin Shaffer
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Correspondence to Michael Benke.

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Benke, M., Shaffer, B. Viscosupplementation treatment of arthritis pain. Current Science Inc 13, 440 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-009-0072-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-009-0072-3

Keywords

  • Hyaluronic Acid
  • Osteoarthritis Cartilage
  • Weekly Injection
  • Arthroscopic Debridement
  • Calcium Pyrophosphate Dihydrate