Efficacy of Intra-articular Injection Hyaluronic Acid in Osteoarthritis of Knee: A Hospital Based Study

Abstract

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common disease of joints in adults around the world. The aim of the study was to assess functional outcome and results of injection of hyaluronic acid in symptomatic osteoarthritis knee. Methods: It was a prospective clinical study with 3 months of follow-up was conducted in the Dept. of Orthopaedics, Pacific Medical College and Hospital, Udaipur. Clinically proven n=35 patients of osteoarthritis knee (OA) included in study on the basis of inclusion and exclusion. Enrolled patients were treated by weekly intra articular injection of Hyaluronic acid (20 mcg/2ml) in affected knee joint for 5 weeks. Functional outcome and clinical assessment was done by pain at visual analogue score (VAS) and by knee range of movements, patients global assessment of treatment and physician global assessment of treatment. Results: Thirty Five patients participated in study and reported statistically significant improvement in VAS score in mild and moderate osteoarthritis of knee from 4.46±0.52 and 7.17±0.96 points respectively pre-treatment level to 3.36±0.63 and 5.26±0.44 points respectively at three months post Hyaluronic acid injection follow up, improvement in joint tenderness and patients & physician’s global assessment score also improved significantly clinically as well as statistically in mild to moderate group while in severe group no clinical and statistically significant improvement was observed in any parameter. Conclusions: We concluded that intra articular injection hyaluronic acid should be considered as safe and effective modality of treatment in selected group of mild to moderate osteoarthritis only.