Evaluate the efficacy of viscosupplementation with low- or high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid (HA) preparations following arthroscopic debridement (AD) in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee

The efficacy of low- and high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid applications after arthroscopic debridement in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

Article specifications

This prospective, observational study was published in 2018 in Journal of Int Orthop. (IF 2017:3.687) by American specialists. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of viscosupplementation with low- or high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid (HA) preparations following arthroscopic debridement (AD) in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. The study included 45 patients (19 men, 26 women; mean age 53 years; range 41 to 66 years) with Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2-3 osteoarthritis of the knee. Following AD, the patients were randomized to three groups to receive three intra-articular injections of 2 ml hylan G-F 20 (Synvisc, n=16), five intra-articular injections of 2 ml sodium hyaluronate (Hyalgan, n=14), and no injections (controls, n=15). Injections were administered at one-week intervals.

 

Result

Our findings show that AD is beneficial in osteoarthritis of the knee in patients with appropriate indications, viscosupplementation increases the efficacy of treatment, and that low- and high-molecular-weight HA preparations have similar efficacy.