Joint lavage followed by intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid and/or corticosteroids in patients with severe hemophilic Arthropathy of the knee

Joint lavage followed by intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid and/or corticosteroids in patients with severe hemophilic arthropathy of the knee: Is this intervention really effective?

Article specifications

This review study was published in 2018 in Journal of Expert Rev Hematol. (IF 2015: 1.42) by Spain and American specialists. The aim of this review is to explore the scientific rationale and evidence for a potential benefit of joint lavage followed by intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid and/or corticosteroids in patients with severe hemophilic arthropathy of the knee (SHAK). This article is a narrative review of the evidence for potential benefits of joint lavage followed by intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid and corticosteroids in SHAK compared with osteoarthritis of the knee in non-hemophilia patients.

 

Result

Although some reports on hemophilic arthropathy with a low-grade of evidence seem to indicate a benefit of joint lavage followed by intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid and/or corticosteroids in patients with SHAK, the short-lived improvements afforded by hyaluronic acid, and the doubtful benefits of corticosteroids and joint lavage in hemophilia, do not warrant their use in hemophilic patients. The scientific rationale of these procedures is poor and they are not recommended.