Viscosupplementation for knee osteoarthritis

Abstract

Purpose To provide an overview of the diagnosis and pathophysiology of osteoarthritis (OA), and to describe appropriate treatments for knee OA, with a focus on the efficacy and safety of viscosupplementation. Because nurse practitioners (NPs) can inject viscosupplements, a section on injection technique is included. Data sources Manuscripts were identified using PubMed and EMBASE with a review of the reference lists from retrieved articles. Conclusions Viscosupplements are safe and effective at improving function and alleviating knee pain from OA for up to 26 weeks. Implications for practice As the number of patients with OA is increasing, NPs need to be prepared to prescribe various treatment options to alleviate osteoarthritic knee pain, including viscosupplementation.

Therapeutic potential of nanotechnology-based approaches in osteoarthritis

“…It has the ability to lubricate joints, protect cartilage, and relieve pain. Intra-articular injections of HA can increase the viscoelasticity of synovial fluid while causing less systemic adverse reactions ( Zychowicz, 2014 ). Intra-articular injection of glucocorticoids is recommended for severe OA that is not responsive to NSAIDs.…”