Lubricating Your Arthritic Knee

A decade ago, individuals who had osteoarthritis of the knee were limited in their options for treatment: anti-inflammatory medications, cortisone injections, reduced activity or surgery. Viscosupplementation, a relatively new treatment involving injections of a lubricating substance called hyaluronan, has become available for patients who suffer from this painful condition or who are unable to tolerate nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

In a healthy knee, the bones smoothly glide over each other, thanks to shock-absorbing cartilage and lubricating synovial fluid. Patients who have osteoarthritis often have less synovial fluid than normal. When the cartilage breaks down and the gel-like synovial fluid deteriorates, you end up with the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis.

In viscosupplementation, an injection of hyaluronic acid (a substance naturally present in that precious synovial fluid) can boost the production of synovial fluid , increase joint mobility , offer pain relief and reduce inflammation. These injections go by several brand names, including Synvisc, Orthovisc, Euflexza and Hyalgan.

While viscosupplementation is not a “cure” for osteoarthritis, some studies have found that these injections can reduce pain and improve function for up to 26 weeks. If you are trying to avoid knee surgery, and other treatments have not alleviated your pain, viscosupplementation might be worth a trial. In fact, a 2008 Canadian study suggested that these injections, together with a strong physical therapy program and additional medications, could treat the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis just as effectively as knee surgery.

Viscosupplementation can certainly work hand in hand with your physical therapy. The injections may improve function and comfort in your knee, so that we can build strength and flexibility in the affected joint through exercise—which is a tried-and-true (not to mention a safe and natural) way to treat osteoarthritis.