Effectiveness and tolerability of US-guided intra-articular treatment of two hyaluronic acids (HAs) commercially available in Italy and investigated predictors of response

Changes of synovial fluid protein concentrations in supra-patellar bursitis patients after the injection of different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid.

Article specifications

This Original research was published in 2019 in Journal of Front Pharmacol. (IF 2018: 1.79) by Italian specialists. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of US-guided intra-articular treatment of two hyaluronic acids (HAs) commercially available in Italy and investigated predictors of response. Outpatient records including three cohorts: 122 subjects treated with medium (1,500-3,200 kDa; Hyalubrix®) molecular weight (MW) or high (hylan G-F20; Synvisc®) MW HAs and 20 controls taking NSAIDs/analgesics on demand were retrospectively analyzed. Pain VAS score, WOMAC, NSAID/analgesic consumption, and causes of suspension were available at 1, 6, 12, and 24 months after first administration.

 

Results

Viscosupplementation in a real-life setting seems to provide a sound alternative in pain management in comparison to oral NSAIDs/analgesics, guaranteeing a reduced intake of pain killer medications. Analgesic effectiveness, functional recovery, and reduced joint stiffness extend and improve over 12 and 24 months, suggesting that repeated administrations achieve an additive effect.