Researchers of a recently published meta-analysis have concluded that intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis significantly improve pain and function compared to placebo.
“The findings of the meta-analysis are important but not unexpected. The safety data in the meta-analysis comes from studies that only used FDA-approved [hyaluronic acid] HAs. The data set is consistent with what I and many other physicians have clinically observed for many years – HAs have been found to be safe, can help relieve knee pain from osteoarthritis, and are appropriate treatment for people with mild to moderate forms of the disease,” Mark A. Snyder, MD, from the TriHealth Orthopedic and Spine Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio, stated in a press release.
The researchers analyzed 29 studies comprising results from 4,866 patients with knee OA who either received intra-articular HA or saline injections, according to the abstract. They found a significant improvement in pain and function between 4 weeks and 26 weeks in the HA injection group compared to the saline group, with an increase in mean standard difference of 1.07 – 1.37 compared to pre-injection levels.
Regarding knee pain and knee function, standard mean differences were 0.38-0.43 and 0.32-0.34, respectively, when compared to saline injections. Further, there were no significant differences in treatment-related or serious adverse events, or study withdrawal, according to the abstract.
Reference:
Miller LE. Clin Med Insights Arthritis Musculoskelet Disord. 2013;doi:10.4137/CMAMD.S12743.
Disclosure:The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.