Skin Necrosis from Intra-articular Hyaluronic Acid Injection.

Abstract

Tissue necrosis is a rare yet potentially serious complication of intra-articular (IA) hyaluronic acid (HA) injections for treatment of knee osteoarthritis. To report a case of a patient with cutaneous necrosis after IA HA injection for treatment of knee osteoarthritis, presenting as a livedoid violaceous patch on the right knee. We report a case of cutaneous necrosis as a rare complication of IA HA injection for treatment of knee osteoarthritis. A literature review was undertaken of similar cases. Use of HA IA injections in the treatment of osteoarthritis can result in similar skin necrosis at uncommon anatomic locations corresponding to the site of HA injection. Although tissue necrosis is a rare complication, physicians need to be aware of this possibility as a complication of HA IA injections in the treatment of osteoarthritis and should be mindful of potential treatment options to manage this adverse event.