Analysis of therapeutic efficacy of collagen in injections for treatment of osteoarthritis

Abstract

During the last several years the knowledge of the biological role of collagen in human body metabolism has significantly increased. Therefore, understanding the etiopathogene­tic and physio-pathological mechanisms, leading to the development of multiple conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system including bones, tendons, ligaments, facias and cartilaginous tissue, including osteoarthritis which is the topic of the presented paper, enables effective introduction of collagen into treatment. Collagen makes about 30% of the mass of all proteins in the human body, which is about 6% of body mass. The role of collagen in the treatment of osteoarthritis has been sufficiently proved and the availability of new generation therapeutic preparation containing collagen for oral and transdermal administration or through injections has increased. While collagen supplements in a form of pills, ointments or creams are well-known, widely available on pharmaceutical markets and have been successfully administered for many years, using collagen in a form of injections, developed on the basis of a reliable research findings, have not been yet sufficiently widespread among the specialists in orthopedics and rheumatology. Presentation of the results of the latest multidirectional research presented in this paper, confirming the therapeutic efficacy of new generation injective medications containing collagen, will contribute to an increased use of such medications, both due to its analgesic effect and helping patients regain functional fitness, and due to its effect on tissue regeneration at the molecular level.