Hyaluronans in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: evidence for disease-modifying activity. A Review study

Hyaluronans in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: evidence for disease-modifying activity. A Review study

Article specifications

This review study was published in 2005 in journal of Osteoarthritis and Cartillage (IF 2005: 4.165) by American Orthopedic Surgeons. This study was a review of preclinical and clinical evidence that HA, in addition to relieving pain associated with OA, also may modify the rate of OA disease progression. Reviewed were taken from MEDLINE, based on a search through June 2004, using the terms HA, sodium hyaluronate, hyaluronic acid, hylan, hylan G-F 20, OA, disease modification, structure modifying and joint structure.

Results

The results of the study showed that:

• the complex biochemical effects of HAs in the synovium and extracellular matrix of the articular cartilage, including interactions between exogenously administered HA and articular cartilage, subchondral bone, matrix proteoglycans, and collagens;
• the effects of HA administration in animal models of OA, including total or partial meniscectomy and anterior cruciate ligament transectomy;
• results of clinical trials using one HA, Hyalgan® (sodium hyaluronate, molecular weight 500e730 kDa) that evaluated structural outcomes, such as joint-space width, chondrocyte density and vitality, and arthroscopic evaluation of chondropathy