Intra-articular injection therapy

Abstract

Intra-articular injection therapy is widely used in the management of osteoarthritis (OA). It has advantages over oral therapy in that it can provide targeted therapy to individual joint sites and at higher dose than could be achieved through oral administration and with fewer adverse effects. Intra-articular steroid therapy, the most widely used intra-articular therapy, is safe and effective in the short term particularly at the knee; though more studies are needed to better characterize the longer-term benefit. The role of intra-articular hyaluronic acid in clinical management of OA is less clear though it may have a role in selected patients in whom other therapies are contraindicated. Currently there are no factors which have been identified as being predictors of response to therapy with intra-articular therapy. Many other intra-articular agents have been used in the management of OA, however, because of the limited evidence base relating to efficacy and safety they cannot currently be recommended for use in routine clinical practice.