Hyaluronic acid injections may trump steroid injections for knee arthritis say two new studies
Corticosteroid injections, which are commonly used to relieve knee osteoarthritis pain, have been associated with the progression of the disease in two studies presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
A total of 210 volunteers with osteoarthritis were split into groups. Over a two-year period, 44 people had corticosteroid injections, 26 had hyaluronic acid injections and 140 had no injections. MRI scans identified osteoarthritis progression.
Corticosteroid knee injections were associated with progression of osteoarthritis in the knee. But hyaluronic injections showed a decreased progression of osteoarthritis compared to the control group.
In the second study, 150 participants with osteoarthritis were split into groups. Over a three-year period, 50 people had corticosteroid injections, 50 people had hyaluronic acid injections and 50 people had no injections. Osteoarthritis progress was analysed via X-rays.
People injected with corticosteroids had more osteoarthritis progression than people who had hyaluronic acid injections or no treatment.
Azad Darbandi, who led the second study comments that “the results suggest that hyaluronic acid injections should be further explored for the management of knee osteoarthritis symptoms, and that steroid injections should be utilized with more caution.”
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