Five weekly intra-articular injections of Artz provide pain relief and functional improvements in patients with Kellgren-Lawrence grades I and II ankle OA. The clinical effect was rapid at 1 week and may last for 6 months or more.

Significant improvement in pain, physical function and balance tests was demonstrated after five weekly Artzal injections in geriatric patients with knee OA. The effect had rapid onset at 1 week and may last for 6 months.

BackgroundThere was an increasing requirement for novel treatments of osteoarthritis (OA). The aim was to compare the efficacy of intraarticular Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) and intraarticular hyaluronate plus rehabilitation exercise in patients with ankle OA.MethodsThis was a prospective, randomized, assessor-blinded study with a 6-month follow-up period, conducted in the outpatient rehabilitation department at a university-affiliated tertiary care medical center. Seventy-five patients with symptomatic ankle OA (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2) were randomized to receive either a single 100-unit BoNT-A injection into the target ankle (n = 38) or a single hyaluronate injection plus 12 sessions of rehabilitation exercise (30 minutes/day, 3 times/week for 4 weeks) (n = 37). The primary outcome measure was the Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale (AOS). Secondary outcome measures included American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle/Hindfoot Score, visual analog scale (VAS) for ankle pain, single leg stance test (SLS), Timed “Up-and-Go” test (TUG), consumption of rescue analgesics and global patient satisfaction.ResultsThere were no significant between-group differences in total AOS scores, pain subscale and disability subscale scores (adjusted mean difference AMD = -0.2, 95% CI = (-0.5, 0.2), p = 0.39; AMD = -0.1, 95% CI = (-0.5, 0.3), p = 0.57; AMD = -0.2, 95% CI = (-0.6, 0.2), p = 0.36). The 2 groups showed no significant differences in AOFAS, VAS, SLS, TUG scores and consumption of rescue analgesics at each follow-up visit, except that the hyaluronate group improved more in SLS than the BoNT-A group at 1-month follow-up. Patients’ satisfaction rate was high, with no serious adverse events. There was no difference in adverse events between the two groups (p = 1.00).ConclusionsTreatment with intraarticular BoNT-A or hyaluronate injection plus rehabilitation exercise was associated with improvements in pain, physical function and balance in patients with ankle OA. These effects were rapid at 2 weeks and might last for at least 6 months. There was no difference in effectiveness between the two interventions.Trial registrationThe trial was registered at clinical trials.gov (Registry number NCT01760577).

This study suggests that three weekly injections of hyaluronate are well-tolerated and can provide pain relief and improve function and balance in patients with unilateral ankle arthritis. Larger controlled trials with longer follow-up are necessary to verify the effects of hyaluronate in the treatment of ankle arthritis.

Viscosupplementation refers to the concept of synovial fluid replacement with intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid (HA) for the relief of pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA). Intra-articular viscosupplementation was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1997. It is currently indicated only for the treatment of pain associated with knee OA. However, OA can occur in several of the weight-bearing joints of the foot and ankle. Ankle OA produces chronic disability that directly impacts the quality of life. There is only limited published literature relating to the use of HA in the ankle. This paper will review the authors’ experience, indications, clinical outcomes, and complications of viscosupplementation therapy in patients with ankle OA.