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Prolotherapy for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Descriptive Review

  • Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation (NA Segal, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common chronic disease of high patient and societal impact. The etiology is multifactorial; pain sources include both intra- and extra-articular tissues. A number of alternative therapies have been assessed for KOA. Patients are often refractory to best-practice conservative management, and the development of new therapy has been called for by national health services groups. Prolotherapy is an outpatient therapy for chronic musculoskeletal pain including KOA. Protocols include injection at attachments of soft-tissue supportive structures such as ligaments and tendons, and within intra-articular spaces. Although the understanding of mechanism is not well understood, a small but growing body of literature suggests that prolotherapy may be appropriate therapy for carefully selected patients refractory to conventional treatment. This article summarizes evidence from basic and clinical science for use of prolotherapy among patients with KOA.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the significant contributions to prolotherapy of Jeffrey J Patterson, DO. He was the primary injector in the studies by Rabago et al., and the inspiration for this work. Jeff was a compassionate physician, generous mentor and dear friend who dedicated his life to improving the human condition.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, 53715, USA

    Bobby Nourani & David Rabago

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  1. Bobby Nourani
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  2. David Rabago
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Correspondence to David Rabago.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation.

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Nourani, B., Rabago, D. Prolotherapy for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Descriptive Review. Curr Phys Med Rehabil Rep 4, 42–49 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40141-016-0111-z

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