Hyaluronic acid injections can help knee osteoarthritis

Injections of hyaluronic acid can help improve pain levels and function in mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis, says research published in Clinical Medicine Insights: Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Disorders.

The type of hyaluronic acid injections scrutinised in the study are approved for use in the US. A total of 29 studies including 4,866 participants were investigated, about half of whom had hyaluronic acid injections and the other half had saline injections (placebo).

Those who had the hyaluronic acid injections had about 50% improvement in pain and function between four and 26 weeks. Neither type of injection resulted in serious adverse events.

The implications

“Hyaluronic injections have been found to be safe, can help relieve knee pain from osteoarthritis, and are appropriate treatment for people with mild to moderate forms of the disease,” says Dr Mark Snyder from the TriHealth Orthopedic and Spine Institute in Ohio. “Currently, there are limited treatment options available to healthy people with mild to moderate osteoarthritis. Access to hyaluronic injection treatments is a great option for those who are seeking help in staying active. “

Next steps

The current study did not include people with end-stage knee osteoarthritis so that in an area of future investigation. Further studies will also look at the effects of different types of hyaluronic acid.