Knee Injections & Viscosupplementation

Why am I a candidate for knee injections?

If you’re one of the more than 27 million people in the U.S. who suffer from osteoarthritis, your knee pain is frustrating, if not debilitating, and it likely keeps you from enjoying activities you once loved. Knee injections and viscosupplementation can help alleviate that pain.

What is Osteoarthritis?

In a knee with OA, the fluid that cushions and lubricates the joint, called synovial fluid, can break down and lose its ability to cushion your knee. The cartilage protecting the ends of bones also deteriorates, causing bone to rub against bone. The result is pain, stiffness, and a more limited range of motion.

There is not necessarily a connection between your stage of OA and the amount of knee pain you experience. You may have severe OA and feel no pain, or you may only have mild OA yet still experience considerable pain. It is important to make sure your doctor understands how much pain you feel, and what types of activities trigger your pain.

There isn’t a cure for OA of the knee, but there are several treatments that can help reduce your pain. These may include, exercise, weight control, activity modification, over the counter pain meds, prescription meds, steroid injections, viscosupplements, and lastly surgery.

What is Viscosupplementation?

Viscosupplementation has been shown to relieve pain in many patients who cannot get relief from nonmedicinal measures or analgesic drugs. The technique has been used in Europe and Asia for several years, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not approve it until 1997, and then only for treating osteoarthritis of the knee. Several preparations of hyaluronic acid are now commercially available.