Intra-articular Injections Of Hyaluronic Acid Research Articles

Evaluation of the effectiveness of intra-articular injections of glucocorticoids in knee synovitis in patients with rheumatic diseases in real clinical practice

Intra-articular injections of glucocorticoids are widely used in the complex therapy of rheumatic diseases (RD). However, there is insufficient data on their effectiveness and safety in real clinical practice.The aim of the study – to evaluate the effectiveness of intra-articular injections of glucocorticoids in rheumatic diseases in real clinical practice.Material and methods. The study group consisted of 290 patients with RD, mainly osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (69.0% – women; age – 55.6±12.6 years), who underwent intra-articular injections of glucocorticoids in the knee joint. Indications for intra-articular injections of glucocorticoids were determined by the attending physicians. The control group consisted of 112 patients with OA (71.4% – women; age 59.3±14.6 years) who underwent a course of intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid. The result of treatment was evaluated in 2 weeks, 1 and 3 months according to a telephone survey.Result. After 2 weeks, 1 month and 3 months after the intra-articular injections of glucocorticoids, the severity of pain during movement decreased (numerical rating scale (NRS) 0–10; Me [25%; 75%]) from 6.0 [4.0; 8.0] to 1,0 [0; 2,0], 2,0 [1,0; 4,0] and 2.5 [1.0; 4.0] respectively (p<0.001). After 3 months, the number of patients with no pain or mild pain (<4 NRS) was 63.8%, with complete/almost complete absence of pain (≤1 NRS) – 30.3%. The effect of intraarticular injections of glucocorticoids was higher in RA than in OA: pain dynamics after 3 months –4.0 [–2.0; –6.0] and –2.0 [–1.0; –5.0] respectively (p=0.003). In OA, the effect of intra-articular injections of glucocorticoids and of hyaluronic acid did not differ: the dynamics of pain after 3 months was –2.0 [–1.0; –5.0] and –3.0 [–1.0; –5.0] respectively (p=0.869). No serious adverse reactions were noted at intra-articular injections of glucocorticoids.Conclusions. Intra-articular injections of glucocorticoids are an effective and fairly safe method of short-term treatment of synovitis in rheumatic diseases.

May the Symptomatic Subtalar Joint Be Conservatively Treated With Intra-Articular Hyaluronic Acid Injections After a Calcaneus Fracture?

Subtalar pain following intra-articular calcaneus fractures may be associated with disability, pain, and a negative impact on the quality of life. Salvage procedures as subtalar fusion are associated with further consequences as stiffness, altered ankle biomechanics, and adjacent articular overloading with degenerative changes. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the short-term effects of viscosupplementation with intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) on function and pain, in patients with painful subtalar joint after calcaneus fracture. We searched for patients who underwent osteosynthesis of intra-articular calcaneus fracture between January 2011 and July 2015 and were diagnosed during the follow-up with pain and subtalar osteoarthritis. Between January and December of 2018, 13 patients (50 ± 10 years) accepted to participate in this study and received intra-articular HA injections. Three consecutive doses of 20 mg of HA were administered within a week interval, through anterolateral injections into the subtalar joint. We prospectively evaluated the function using the ankle/hindfoot American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society score (AOFAS) and level of pain using the visual analog scale (VAS) before the intervention and 4, 12, and 24 weeks after the first injection. Hindfoot function improved with an increase of AOFAS from 55 ± 19 before the intervention to 88 ± 20 at the 24th week (P = .001). Similarly, we observed relief of pain during the 24 weeks following intra-articular hyaluronic acid injection, with a decrease in VAS from 8.3 ± 1.3 before treatment to 2.2 ± 3.0 at the 24th week (P = .001). For patients experiencing pain and dysfunction with subtalar osteoarthritis after intra-articular calcaneus fracture, viscosupplementation with intra-articular HA may be associated with improvement in function and pain in the short term. Furthermore, patients with higher grades of osteoarthritis may have limited benefit in pain relief and function improvement. IV, Case series.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Exosomes Promote Functional Osteochondral Repair in a Clinically Relevant Porcine Model

Background: Previous studies have reported the efficacy of human mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) exosomes for the repair of osteochondral defects in rats and rabbits. However, the safety and efficacy of MSC exosomes remain to be validated in a clinically relevant large animal model. Purpose: To validate the safety and efficacy of human MSC exosomes for osteochondral repair in a clinically relevant micropig model. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Bilateral osteochondral defects (6-mm diameter and 1-mm depth) were surgically created in the medial femoral condyles in knees of 12 micropigs. The pigs then received 2-mL intra-articular injections of MSC exosomes and hyaluronic acid (HA) (Exosome+HA) or HA alone after surgery and thereafter at 8 and 15 days. Osteochondral repair was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 15 days and at 2 and 4 months after surgery as well as by macroscopic, histological, biomechanical, and micro—computed tomography (micro-CT) analyses at 4 months after surgery. Results: Exosome+HA–treated defects demonstrated significantly better MRI scores than HA-treated defects at 15 days and at 2 and 4 months. Additionally, Exosome+HA–treated defects demonstrated functional cartilage and subchondral bone repair, with significantly better macroscopic and histological scores and biomechanical properties (Young modulus and stiffness) than HA-treated defects at 4 months. Micro-CT further showed significantly higher bone volume and trabecular thickness in the subchondral bone of Exosome+HA–treated defects than that of HA-treated defects. Importantly, no adverse response or major systemic alteration was observed in any of the animals. Conclusion: This study shows that the combination of MSC exosomes and HA administered at a clinically acceptable frequency of 3 weekly intra-articular injections can promote functional cartilage and subchondral bone repair, with significantly improved morphological, histological, and biomechanical outcomes in a clinically relevant porcine model. Clinical Relevance: Our findings provide a robust scientific rationale to support a phase 1/2 clinical trial to test MSC exosomes in patients with osteochondral lesions.

Comparison of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy with Non-Steroid Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Intra-Articular Hyaluronic Acid Injection for Early Osteoarthritis of the Knees.

Conservative treatments for early osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee included the use of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) injection. Recently, several animal studies reported that extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) demonstrated chondroprotective effects on knee OA. The present study compared the efficacy of oral NSAIDs, HA injection, and noninvasive ESWT for early OA of the knee. Forty-five patients with early knee OA were randomized into three groups. NSAIDs group received celecoxib 200 mg daily for 3 weeks. HA group received intra-articular injection of HA once a week for 3 weeks. ESWT group received ESWT for 3 sessions at bi-weekly interval. All patients were followed up for one year. Evaluations included the visual analogue scale (VAS) score, serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), plain radiography, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In addition, the functional scores were performed including, WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index) score, KOOS (knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome) score, and IKDC (International Knee Documentation Committee) score. All three groups showed significant improvement in VAS and functional scores as well as in the collected one-year follow-up data after treatments. ESWT group had better pain relief than NSAIDs and HA groups. ESWT group had better therapeutic effects in the functional scores than NSAIDs and HA groups. The bone mineral density (BMD) of proximal tibia is significantly increased after ESWT than others. In the serum ELISA, ESWT inhibited the expression of COMP in knee OA patients as compared with NSAIDs and HA groups. The parameters of MRI showed no significant differences between three groups after treatments. ESWT and intra-articular HA injection showed comparable results than NSAIDs. ESWT was superior in pain relief than HA and NSAIDs. The results demonstrated that ESWT was an effective and alternative therapy than HA and NSAIDs for early osteoarthritis of the knees.

Hyaluronic Acid Therapy in Hip OA Does Not Perform Equally in Osteoarthritis Secondary to Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis When Compared to Primary Osteoarthritis: A 2-Year Preliminary Evaluation.

Hip involvement in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is one of most important causes of pain and disability. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is considered the standard when medical approaches fail to relieve pain. However, THA is problematic for many reasons. As current literature lacks studies valuating medical management of osteoarthritis (OA) secondary to JIA, we assessed the long-term pain relief effect of US-guided intra-articular viscosupplementation in hip osteoarthritis secondary to JIA versus primary OA under different etiological conditions. Patients in both groups received intra-articular Hylan G-F 20 2ml once a month for 3 consecutive months and every 6 months for 2years as maintenance. Effectiveness (VAS and WOMAC), NSAID/analgesic consumption, tolerability, withdrawals and reason for discontinuation were collected at each time point. An inverse probability weighting was used to balance the two groups. We retrospectively retrieved data of 14 JIA patients and 26 primary OA. Weighting successfully accounted for differences between the disease groups supporting the results. Viscosupplementation led to an early and significant improvement of pain and function and concomitant decrease in NSAIDs consumption, while the response diverged over 1 year with loss of benefits in JIA. The worst outcome was observed in active JIA. Duration of symptom relief after intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid depends on the nature of arthritis. Multiple courses of viscosupplementation are required to maintain low-dose NSAIDs consumption in patients responsive to treatment while shortening the time between consecutive injections might provide persistent positive results in patients suffering from JIA.

The efficacy of intraarticular viscosupplementation after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThis study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of viscosupplementation after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy.MethodA randomized controlled trial of 47 patients who underwent arthroscopic partial meniscectomy was conducted between March 2020 and March 2021. Patients were randomized into two groups: a viscosupplementation group (n = 23) and a control group (n = 24). A single-dose intraarticular hyaluronic acid injection was used as viscosupplementation. The 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain assessment was measured at baseline and at 1 day, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months post-surgery. The International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Tegner, Lysholm, and Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores and range of motion (ROM) of the knee were measured at baseline, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months.ResultsThe 100 mm VAS score for pain was significantly lower in the viscosupplementation group at 2 weeks post-surgery (27.5 mm vs. 40.7 mm, P = 0.047). ROM was significantly greater in the viscosupplementation group than in the control group at 2 weeks (131.5° vs. 121.0°, P = 0.044) post-surgery. No significant differences were observed in the IKDC or in the Tegner, Lysholm, and WOMAC scores between the two groups.ConclusionsViscosupplementation after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy significantly reduced pain at 2 weeks post-surgery and improved ROM of the knee at 2 weeks post-surgery. There might be some benefits in terms of pain and functional recovery of viscosupplementation after arthroscopic surgery.Study designRandomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.Trial registrationThis randomized controlled trial was registered at cris.nih.go.kr #KCT0004921.

Умное сложение — это умножение: обзор сочетанного применения препаратов гиалуроновой кислоты и полинуклеотидов для внутрисуставного введения при остеоартрите

The article presents an overview of modern methods to the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). It is focused on intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid and polynucleotides (PNs) of natural origin. Hyaluronic acid is a natural component of connective tissue that has the ability to restore the viscoelastic properties of synovial fluid. Besides, it also has anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic and antifibrotic characteristics. PNs are natural macromolecules derived from DNA. They have trophic activity and promote cell growth and collagen production, as has been shown in preclinical and clinical studies concerning cartilage regeneration. When injected into the joint cavity, PNs are subjected to enzymatic cleavage with the release of nucleosides, nucleotides and nitrogenous bases, thereby, providing long-term moisturizing and viscoelastic properties of synovial fluid. The efficacy of a combination of hyaluronic acid preparations with PNs for intra-articular administration for the treatment of knee OA has been studied. It has been established that the combined therapy with PNs and hyaluronic acid leads to the development of a more persistent therapeutic effect for 2 years after the treatment course versus with hyaluronic acid monotherapy. KEYWORDS: osteoarthritis, synovial fluid, viscoelastic properties, synovial fluid substitute, intra-articular injections, hyaluronic acid, polynucleotides FOR CITATION: Svintsitskaya I.S., Volkov K.Yu. Smart addition is multiplication: a review concerning combined use of hyaluronic acid and polynucleotides for intra-articular administration in osteoarthritis. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2022;6(4):182–186 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2022-6-4-182-186

Hype or hope of hyaluronic acid for osteoarthritis: Integrated clinical evidence synthesis with multi-organ transcriptomics.

BackgroundIntra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid (HA), the United States Food and Drug Administration approved treatment and widely utilized to delay or reserve the progression of the osteoarthritis (OA) involves. However, this treatment has shown controversial results through various clinical practice guidelines and meta-analysis evaluations, warrants more advanced researches on its safety and effectiveness.MethodsA novel strategy of integrating medical informatics and bioinformatics was utilized. An updated meta-analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) out of 1820 articles was conducted, in combination with a high throughput body-wide-organ-transcriptomic (BOT) RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and in vitro and vivo experiments to evaluate the effect of HA at local and systemic levels, revealing the underlying mechanism.ResultsA sensitivity analysis was performed restricting to high quality RCTs, no significant effect of HA treatment was found on pain relief and functional improvement. Descriptive analysis of RNA-seq using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed biological process related to innate immune responses and apoptosis; BOT analysis revealed differential gene expressions (DEGs) in cartilage, lymph node, spleen, kidney, and liver, with immune cell proliferation in immune-related organs. In vitro, HA-coated plates were shown to induce macrophage responses; in vivo histological images revealed knee joint, liver, and kidney with damaged/abnormal morphologies, while immune cell proliferation was observed in the lymph node and spleen and it was found that there was no significant difference in the treatment effect for OA animal model.ConclusionConclusively, integration of meta-analysis with bioinformatics analysis exhibited that HA induces inflammatory responses both locally and systematically and not benefit for OA treatment, thus limiting the regeneration and leading to some organ-specific pathogenesis. The strategy and findings will be of important for guiding future long-term clinical studies.The Translational potential of this articleThis study illustrated that the administered HA activated both systemic and local pro-inflammatory immune responses, possibly limiting its efficacy. This novel unique strategy proposed in this study can be utilized and adapted for future meta-analysis and bioinformatics study.

Ozone or hyaluronic acid in the intra-articular treatment of knee osteoarthritis?

Aim: Both intra-articular ozone and hyaluronic acid injections are commonly used for treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). It was aimed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of intra-articular ozone and hyaluronic acid (HA) injections on pain and functional limitations of participants with KOA.Methods: One hundred and eight consecutive patients (eighty-four women, twenty-four men) aged 40-75 years visited to outpatient clinic with knee pain for longer than 3 months. HA injections were performed as a single dose, and ozone injections were administered once a week as three doses in total. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) were performed before treatment, one and three months after treatment.Results: Seventy-six participants were included in the study. The randomization was done as Hyaluronic Acid (n=39) and Ozone (n=37) groups. No significant difference was found in terms of WOMAC-total, WOMAC-pain, and VAS (p>0.05) at all stages among groups. WOMAC-stiffness score was found significantly different between first month and third month follow-ups (p=0.011). Also, there was a significant change in WOMAC-function scores between before treatment and first month follow-ups (p=0.008), and before treatment and third month follow-ups (p=0.002) in inter-group analysis.Conclusion: Both ozone and HA injections were effective treatment methods for KOA. However, intraarticular HA injection had a longer-lasting effect on pain and function than ozone injection.

Open-Label Pilot Study of a Single Intra-Articular Injection of Mannitol-Modified Cross-Linked Hyaluronic Acid (HANOX-M-XL) for the Treatment of the First Metatarsophalangeal Osteoarthritis (Hallux Rigidus): The REPAR Trial.

Purpose:The purpose of this study was to obtain information on safety and short-term efficiency of a single intra-articular injection of mannitol-modified cross-linked hyaluronic acid (HANOX-M-XL) in patients with painful first metatarsophalangeal joint osteoarthritis (1stMTPJ-OA).Methods:The study involved an observational, single-arm, prospective multicentre trial, with a 3-month follow-up. Inclusion criteria were patients with symptomatic 1st MTPJ-OA not relieved by analgesics and / or non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory drugs and / or foot orthotic. All patients received a single, imaging-guided intra-articular (IA) injection of 1 mL of HANOX-M-XL in the 1st MTPJ. The primary outcome was the change in pain between the date of injection and month 3. The secondary outcomes were the patient assessment of effectiveness, the decrease in painkiller use and the influence of the radiographic score on the clinical efficacy.Results:Sixty-five participants (72.3% women, mean age = 60) were included in the trial. Coughlin-Shurnas radiological grade was 1 in 28 patients, 2 in 29, and 3 in 6. At baseline and month 3, the average pain (0-10) was 6.5 ± 1.8 and 2.8 ± 2.3, respectively. The change in pain score was highly significant (−3.1 ± 2.9; P < .0001). At baseline there was no statistically difference in pain between the radiological stages (P = .69). At endpoint, the average pain score was 2.0 ± 1.9 in x-ray stage 1, 3.1 ± 2.3 in stage 2 and 3.3 ± 2.4 in stage 3 (P = .001). Mild to moderate adverse reactions were reported by 15 patients. All were a transient increase of the hallux pain that occurred immediately and up to 6 hours after injection and resolved in 1 to 7 days.Conclusion:This pilot study suggests that a single IA injection of HANOX-M-XL is safe and mainly benefits patients with mild moderate 1st MTPJ-OA. Further randomized controlled trials are necessary to confirm these preliminary encouraging results.

Efficacy of Hyaluronic Acid Injections in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Background: Hyaluronic acid injections for treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee are a widely used yet highly controversial therapy. Many societal guidelines recommend against the use of such injections. Objective: This review aims to investigate efficacy of intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections for treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Conclusion: There are many factors impacting the efficacy of intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections. This can include source of hyaluronic acid, dosing regimen, molecular weight of the product, and patient characteristics. Overall, hyaluronic acid injections can be effective in reducing pain and improving physical function in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. These injections may also prolong time between diagnosis and arthroplasty. Adverse events after injection are rare and can be product-related. Radiologic findings and severity of disease can be predictive of successful treatment outcomes. More consistent research will be necessary to overturn societal guideline recommendations to support treatment with intra-articular hyaluronic acid products.

Intra-articular injection of Platelet rich plasma versus Hyaluronic acid for moderate knee osteoarthritis. A prospective, double-blind randomized controlled trial on 189 patients with follow-up for three years.

Platelet-rich plasma injections have been proposed as an option for Conservative management of knee Osteoarthritis to provide symptomatic relief and also to delay the need for surgical intervention. Although almost all the current literatures provide some evidence on the benefits of this technique compared with Visco- supplementation, no studies have been performed to compare their Clinical outcomes. The purpose is to compare the Clinical outcomes provided by intra- articular injection of either Platelet rich plasma or Hyaluronic acid to treat knee Osteoarthritis. Study Design: Randomized Controlled Trial 200 Patients with a history of Symptomatic knee Osteo- arthritis (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2 or 3) were randomized to undergo 3 blinded intra-articular in- jections of either Platelet rich plasma or Hyaluronic acid. The Interval between successive injections was 2 weeks. Patients were evaluated prospectively before the injection and then at 2, 6, 12, 24, 30 and 36 months. Evaluation was based on International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Visual analog scale, VOMAC Score and the re- injection rate; 189 patients reached the final evaluation. Both platelet rich plasma and Hyaluronic acid were effective in improving knee Symptoms and functional status over time and remained stable over time up to 18 months Post-injection (No re-injection has been performed to any patient incorporated in this study during the first 18 months). The performed re-injections have been significantly lower in the PRP group. Both platelet rich plasma and Hyaluronic acid were effective in improving knee Symptoms and functional status over time and remained stable over time up to 18 months Post-injection. The rate of the required re-injections has been significantly lower in platelet rich plasma group. platelet rich plasma provide longer duration of symptomatic relief, longer duration of functional status improvement and lesser number of needed re-injections than Hyaluronic acid when the patients have been followed through 36 months.

EFFECTIVENESS AND SAFETY OF INTRA-ARTICULAR HYALURONIC ACID IN ATHLETES WITH ARTICULAR LESIONS: A MULTICENTER, PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a novel intra-articular formulation of hyaluronic acid (HA) to treat athletes with articular lesions. Methods: Multicenter, prospective, interventional, observational study analyzing the clinical evolution of athletes who received 2 or 3 intra-articular injections of HA. The study was scheduled in Visit 1 (week 0), Visit 2 (week 1), Visit 3 (week 2), Visit 4 (week 3), and Visit 5 (end of follow up, week 24). The change in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) of pain and in Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and the rate of return to physical activity were evaluated upon treatment initiation for up to 24 weeks. The incidence of adverse events was recorded throughout the study. Results: Sixty patients were recruited: 28 (46.7%) in the 2-injection group and 32 (53.3%) in the 3-injection group. Mean VAS gradually decreased across the visits, with statistically significant reductions in both groups from Visit 2 to Visit 3 and to Visit 5 (P &lt; 0.0001). Inter-group differences in the change in VAS from Visit 2 to Visit 5 were statistically comparable (P = 0.8271). At Visit 5, the KOOS of all subscales statistically improved in both treatment groups. At the end of follow-up (Visit 5), 75.9% of patients returned to sport in the overall population. Only one patient reported an adverse event. Conclusion: This novel formulation of HA is effective and safe for at least 24 weeks, resulting in a promising treatment option for athletes with articular lesions.

Self-Healing of Hyaluronic Acid to Improve In Vivo Retention and Function.

Convergent advances in the field of soft matter, macromolecular chemistry, and engineering have led to the development of biomaterials that possess autonomous, adaptive, and self-healing characteristics similar to living systems. These rationally designed biomaterials can surpass the capabilities of their parent material. Herein, the modification of hyaluronic acid (HA) to exhibit self-healing properties is described, and its physical and biological function both in vitro and in vivo is studied. The in vitro findings showed that self-healing HA designed to undergo self-repair improves lubrication, enhances free radical scavenging, and attenuates enzymatic degradation compared to unmodified HA. Longitudinal imaging following intraarticular injection of self-healing HA shows improved in vivo retention despite its low molecular weight. Concomitant with these functions, intraarticular injection of self-healing HA mitigates anterior cruciate ligament injury-mediated cartilage degeneration in rodents. This proof-of-concept study shows how incorporation of functional properties such as self-healing can be used to surpass the existing capabilities of biolubricants.

1511 A Review of Non-Surgical Management of Hand Osteoarthritis

Abstract Introduction Hand osteoarthritis (OA) is a common musculoskeletal condition leading to pain and loss of function. Current treatment aims to target the symptoms of hand OA involving a combination of non-surgical and surgical interventions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a renewed interest in conservative management. The purpose of this article is to review non-surgical therapies in hand OA, their mechanism of action and efficacy. Method An online search of PubMed for articles between 1st January 2004- 1st February 2020 was performed according to specific terms and agreed inclusion criteria. Results The search produced 289 results of which 28 met the inclusion criteria comprising 13 RCTs, 8 systematic reviews, 5 clinical trials and 2 international guidelines. Conclusions Topical NSAIDs remain first-line pharmacological agents in the management of hand OA. Increasingly, oral NSAIDs have been recommended however their use must be balanced against their potential adverse effects. Supplementation with chondroitin sulfate may help to delay the structural damage in hand OA, which may reduce the need for oral NSAIDs. Intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid and corticosteroids are effective treatments and provide longer symptomatic relief, additionally hyaluronic acid may improve function over a longer period of time. Targeted hand exercises are widely recommended however may only provide short-term improvements and vary according to the different subtypes of hand OA. In summary, there are multiple conservative management options for hand OA which should be considered prior to operative intervention given the current restrictions on surgical practice.

Efficacy of intra-articular injection of combined platelet-rich plasma and hyaluronic acid in knee degenerative joint disease (182)

Objectives:Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a debilitating disease whose prevalence has increased across the world with aging population. Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) and Hyaluronic Acid (HA) injections appear to be two of the main strategies for conservative treatment of early knee OA. The effectiveness of both treatments, however, is still under debate because contrasting results have been described in the current literature. Some pre-clinical studies evaluated the association of PRP and HA with encouraging results, highlighting the possibility of a synergistic effect between the two compounds and suggesting a possible use through combined intra-articular injections. The aim of this prospective randomized controlled double-blind clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacy of intra-articular injections of PRP and HA for the treatment of early stages of knee degenerative joint disease in improving joint function and reducing pain, compared to the intra-articular injections of PRP and HA alone.Methods:Patients with knee early OA were prospectively enrolled and then double-blinded randomly divided into three groups of fifty-eight subjects each: HA alone, PRP alone and PRP+HA group. Patients received three intra-articular injections with two-week interval period among each dose. Patients clinical outcome was evaluated through five questionnaires [The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Tegner Activity, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Subjective Knee Form] before the treatment (T0) and after 3, 6 and 12 months from the first injection. Patients’use of paracetamol and supplementary analgesia for knee pain during the study was collected.Results:One hundred and seventy-four patients were enrolled in this study (age, 30-80 years; 108 females and 66 males) and 162 completed the 12-month follow-up. All patients showed significant clinical improvement after treatment. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) did not show statistically significant differences among the three groups for all the variables analysed at 6 and 12 months of follow-up (p>0.05).No significant differences were found in terms of adverse events (p=0.49) among the three groups of patients (p=0.92).The demand for paracetamol and supplementary analgesics was generally low and there were no significant differences among the groups (p=0.23 and p=0.56, respectively).Conclusions:Injections treatments for early knee OA are an important conservative therapeutic strategy. To date, the current literature presents many contrasting studies about the effectiveness of PRP or HA, but only a few consider the combined use of PRP and HA as attractive therapeutic option. Our study has not shown any significant difference in clinical and functional outcomes among the three experimental groups, suggesting a substantial equivalence of these three treatments. Thus, cost-effectiveness is in favor of HA injections in the conservative treatment of early OA.

Intra-Articular Injections of Platelet-Rich Plasma versus Hyaluronic Acid in Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis (Systematic Review and Meta-analysis)

Abstract Background Although PRP is one of the options in the management of knee OA, its effectiveness and wide application is still controversial. Therefore, we conducted the present systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the safety and effectiveness of PRP versus HA injection for knee OA. Objective The purpose of this study is to compare between the efficacy of intra-articular injections of Platelet-Rich Plasma versus Hyaluronic Acid in treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Methods We performed this systematic review and meta-analysis in accordance to the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) statement. PRISMA and MOOSE are reporting checklists for Authors, Editors, and Reviewers of Meta-analyses of interventional and observational studies. According to International committee of medical journal association (ICJME), reviewers must report their findings according to each of the items listed in those checklists. Results The overall effect favoured PRP over HA for WOMAC function score, WOMAC pain score, WOMAC stiffness score, and WOMAC total score; mostly 6 and 12 months after treatment. According VAS score, we found that the overall effect favoured PRP over HA at 12 months only. In contrary, the overall effect did not favour PRP over HA for VAS score at 3 and 6 months. PRP is superior to HA for IKDC scores at 6 and 12 months with similar results at 3 months. Conclusion Intra-articular PRP injection is more effective in terms of pain relief and function improvement at short-term follow-up in the treatment of knee OA than HA, and there is no significant difference in the risk of adverse events between PRP and HA. A randomized controlled trial with larger group sizes is necessary to find the predictors of the response to PRP and HA intra-articular injection.

Efficacy of intra-articular corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid injections in preventing progression of early osteoarthritis of the knee in Indian population – A single centre prospective study with a follow-up of 18 months

Introduction: Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease affecting middle aged to elderly population. Trial of conservative management in form of intra-articular injection with drugs like corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid have been in use for quite some time. We aim to test the efficacy of these drugs when given individually as well in combination in providing pain relief in patients with early-stage osteoarthritis. Materials and Methods: A prospective study conducted over a period of 4 years (2015-2019) was conducted with a sample size of 150 patients with 50 patients divided equally into 3 groups receiving corticosteroid, hyaluronic acid and combination of both respectively. Patients in age group of 40 – 65 years and with Kellgren Lawrence Grade I and II were included in the study. Functional scoring was evaluated pre –procedure, post-procedure at 1 month, and at regular interval of 3 months till 18 months. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Knee society scoring (KSS) were used to evaluate the results. Results: Mean age of the patients included in the study was 57.3 years with 59% female and 41% male patients. Mean VAS score and mean KSS in corticosteroid group (CS) at 3 months follow-up were 4.92 and 152.81 respectively (p< 0.01). For the hyaluronic acid (HA) group, patients had a good relief till 9 months with a mean VAS at 9 months-4.91 and Mean KSS at 9 months-155.26 (p

Intra-Articular Hybrid Hyaluronic Acid Injection Treatment in Overweight Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Single-Center, Open-Label, Prospective Study

Background: A BMI &gt; 25 is the most decisive, albeit modifiable, risk factor for knee osteoarthritis (KOA). This study aimed at assessing the efficacy of intra-articular injections of hybrid hyaluronic acid (HA) complexes (Sinovial® H-L) for the treatment of KOA in overweight patients in terms of disease severity, cardiocirculatory capacity, and quality of life. Materials: In this single-site, open-label, prospective trial, 37 patients with symptomatic knee OA were assessed at baseline and 3 months after ultrasound-guided intra-articular injection of hybrid HA complexes (Sinovial® H-L). Results: Primary variables displaying a statistically significant improvement after treatment were pain (VAS), disease severity (WOMAC), and cardiopulmonary capacity (6 min walk test). Among secondary variables, quality of life (SF-12) improved significantly, as did analgesic intake for pain control. No statistically significant difference was observed in body fat and muscle mass percentage measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Conclusions: Intra-articular hybrid HA injections are significantly effective in improving OA-related disease severity, cardiopulmonary function, and analgesic intake. This supports the role of hybrid HA viscosupplementation as a nonpharmacological treatment to relieve pain, reduce disability, improve quality of life, and limit the risk of polypharmacy in overweight patients with knee OA.

Safety and efficacy of a single intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid in osteoarthritis of the hip: a case series of 87 patients

BackgroundOsteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent form of joint disease and commonly affects the hip. Hip OA is associated with a high socioeconomic burden. Intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) injection may be of benefit but quality evidence for HA use in hip OA is lacking. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of ultrasound guided injection of a high molecular weight, non-animal derived, stabilised HA (NASHA) in patients with mild to moderate hip OA.MethodsThis single site study is an analysis of prospectively collected outcome data for 87 consecutive patients over a 2-year period who received a single HA (Durolane) injection for symptomatic hip OA. Inclusion criteria were male or female patients over 18-years of age with mild to moderate hip OA on x-ray. Patients with severe hip OA were excluded. The primary outcome measure was a modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) questionnaire at baseline and 6-weeks with a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of 10 points. All adverse events were recorded and assessed.ResultsData from 87 patients, 49 women and 38 men with mean age of 54 (SD = 10.8) were analysed. At baseline, mean mHHS was 58.47 (SD 14.31). At the 6 week follow up, mean mHHS improved to 71.30 (SD 16.46), a difference of 12.83 (p < 0.01). This was greater than the MCID of 10. No significant adverse events were encountered. Five patients reported short-lived injection site pain.ConclusionA single injection of HA (NASHA) in the setting of hip joint OA was both safe and efficacious in this 87 patient cohort. Improvement in pain and function as measured with mHHS was statistically significant and reached the MCID of 10.Trial registrationThe study was retrospectively registered on the 1st of February 2021 in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry with registry number ACTRN12621000098831. All research was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.