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Intra-articular hyaluronic acids for osteoarthritis of the knee

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Abstract

Hyaluronic acids (HAs) are one modality in the arsenal for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Non-pharmacologic strategies, such as exercise therapy and weight loss, improve functional capacity and provide pain relief. When patients require adjunct pharmacologic therapy, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, intra-articular (IA) corticosteroids, duloxetine, HA, topical capsaicin, and, when necessary, opioid medications may be used. Current guidelines recommend caution with use of many of these therapies because of safety concerns, especially in patients with comorbidities. HAs provide pain relief for patients with mild-to-moderate knee OA without adversely affecting patients with comorbidities. With 15 HA preparations available, these agents vary according to origin of derivation, molecular weight, number of injections per series, and duration of effect. This article discusses the various HA preparations.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge Dr. Wendy Lovato and Dr. McKenna Person who were PharmD candidates at the time they provided initial research.

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  1. Department of Pharmacy Practice, Regis University School of Pharmacy, Denver, CO, 80221, USA

    Micheline Andel Goldwire & Leticia A. Shea

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  1. Micheline Andel Goldwire
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Correspondence to Micheline Andel Goldwire.

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Micheline Andel Goldwire and Leticia A. Shea declare no conflicts of interest.

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MG conceived the article topic and constructed the first draft. MG and LS conducted subsequent literature searches, analyzed available literature, drafted the subsequent manuscripts, revised the manuscript, and approved the final version for submission.

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Goldwire, M.A., Shea, L.A. Intra-articular hyaluronic acids for osteoarthritis of the knee. Drugs Ther Perspect 36, 440–450 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-020-00764-4

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