Genicular Artery Embolization to Improve Pain and Function in Early-Stage Knee Osteoarthritis—24-Month Pilot Study Results

Abstract

Ten patients with painful early-stage knee osteoarthritis underwent transcatheter arterial embolization of neoangiogenic branches from genicular arteries. At 12 months, 6 patients had responded to treatment according to study criteria. Median pain, function, and quality-of-life scores had improved by 15.4%, 21.3%, and 100%, respectively, for the 10 patients. Median 30-second chair stand test and 6-minute walk test scores had improved by 43% and 26%, respectively. No major adverse events occurred. Improvements following transcatheter arterial embolization provide evidence that embolization might be an effective treatment technique for people with early-stage knee osteoarthritis, although more rigorous evaluation is required.