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An injectable alternative for osteoarthritis of the knee

There are a couple of alternative medical treatments on the marketplace for osteoarthritis of the knee that I have not yet mentioned on this blog.  They are injectable products that are intended to replace the synovial fluid of the knee joint.  Synovial fluid is an important component in all joints throughout the human body; its purpose is to reduce friction and lubricate the joint, making our every movement a smooth operation. When osteoarthritis sets in, this fluid is lost over time and eventually the bones rub against each other, causing increased pain in the afflicted joint.




Sanofi-Aventis was one of the first companies to enter the marketplace with a solution for this problem.  Synvisc, an injectable product that is intended to replace the synovial fluid of the knee joint, entered the marketplace several years ago.  It can provide relief for up to six months post injection.  The downside is that there are some cautions and warnings, such as the risk of severe allergic reaction to the product.  It is also a fairly expensive product.

More recently, Anika Therapeutics released a newer generation product along the same lines.  It's called Monovisc, marketed in the US by Depuy-Synthes.  This product seems to be less risky as far as allergenicity, but there are some cautions/warnings regarding use of the product. I don't have any cost data on this, but I would predict that this product is also fairly costly.

Most people I have know have had great results with these products, at least in the short term. If nothing else, they can help keep a patient pain free without the use of NSAIDs, acetaminophen, or opiates for some time before they're ready for joint replacement therapy.

Addendum: Here's an interesting article that compares steroid injections to the hyaluronic acid injections mentioned in my post above. From what I understand, osteoarthritis is not an inflammatory process, so I am not sure why a steroid (anti-inflammatory) would even be indicated.  Nonetheless, the article gives interesting insight.

The article concludes by saying:
"As to the changes in response over time, with more rapid pain relief being seen with betamethasone and better function throughout with hyaluronic acid, Davalillo and colleagues wrote, "It has been reported that corticosteroids have a short-term effect on pain but have no effect on function, whereas hyaluronic acid products can provide a more durable response with relief of pain and improvement in function, although the onset of these effects is slower."

Sources: Marketwatch.com;Depuysynthes.com;Synviscone.com;Wikimedia;MedPageToday
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