Comparison of intermediate molecular weight intra-articular hyaluronic acid with a low MW product on knee osteoarthritis

A randomised, double-blind, controlled trial comparing two intra-articular hyaluronic acid preparations differing by their molecular weight in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis

Article specifications

This randomized, double-blind, controlled trial was published in 2012 in journal of Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (IF 2016:12.81) by orthopedics in France, Germany and Italy. In this study the effects of an intermediate molecular weight (MW) intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) were compared with a low MW product on knee osteoarthritis (OA). 343 patients with knee osteoarthritis participated in this study, 171 patients received 3 weekly injections of GO_ON (MW 800–1500 kD, 25 mg/2.5 ml) and 172 patients received3 weekly injections of Hyalgan (MW 500–730 kD, 20 mg/2 ml) and were then seen at weeks 6, 14, 20 and 26, or, 4, 12, 18 and 24 weeks following the end of treatment. The primary outcome was 6-month change in the WOMAC pain subscale (0–100 mm). Sample size was calculated on a non-inferiority margin of 9 mm, lower than the minimum perceptible clinical improvement. Secondary endpoints included OARSI-OMERACT responder rates.

Results

The results of the study showed that the intermediate MW HA preparation GO-ON is effective on knee osteoarthritis symptoms over 6 months after a 3-weekly injection course, and may be more effective than the reference low MW formulation.