In the study outlined below, treatment with viscosupplementation (typically various forms of hyaluronic acid) was studied in over 12,500 patients. This is an injection therapy used in patients with knee osteoarthritis. It is usually reserved for patients that fail other forms of treatment. Here is the conclusion of this study of studies: "In patients with knee osteoarthritis, viscosupplementation is associated with a small and clinically irrelevant benefit and an increased risk for serious adverse events."
Clearly, the data shows this treatment does not provide transformative value. We need better options for patients with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis. Biologic therapies such as platelet rich plasma and autologous stem cells are evolving but still need significantly better studies to be used for knee osteoarthritis widely.
It is often NOT discussed but patients with knee osteoarthritis can often benefit from weight reduction and leg strengthening via an exercise bike program. Perhaps we should focus on these patient driven solutions first.
Viscosupplementation for Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Purpose: To assess the benefits and risks of viscosupplementation for adults with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.
Data Sources: MEDLINE (1966 to January 2012), EMBASE (1980 to January 2012), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (1970 to January 2012), and other sources.
Study Selection: Randomized trials in any language that compared viscosupplementation with sham or nonintervention control in adults with knee osteoarthritis.
Data Extraction: Primary outcomes were pain intensity and flare-ups. Secondary outcomes included function and serious adverse events. Reviewers used duplicate abstractions, assessed study quality, pooled data using a random-effects model, examined funnel plots, and explored heterogeneity using meta-regression.
Data Synthesis: Eighty-nine trials involving 12 667 adults met inclusion criteria. Sixty-eight had a sham control, 40 had a follow-up duration greater than 3 months, and 22 used cross-linked forms of hyaluronic acid. Overall, 71 trials (9617 patients) showed that viscosupplementation moderately reduced pain (effect size, −0.37 [95% CI, −0.46 to −0.28]). There was important between-trial heterogeneity and an asymmetrical funnel plot: Trial size, blinded outcome assessment, and publication status were associated with effect size. Five unpublished trials (1149 patients) showed an effect size of −0.03 (CI, −0.14 to 0.09). Eighteen large trials with blinded outcome assessment (5094 patients) showed a clinically irrelevant effect size of −0.11 (CI, −0.18 to −0.04). Six trials (811 patients) showed that viscosupplementation increased, although not statistically significantly, the risk for flare-ups (relative risk, 1.51 [CI, 0.84 to 2.72]). Fourteen trials (3667 patients) showed that viscosupplementation increased the risk for serious adverse events (relative risk, 1.41 [CI, 1.02 to 1.97]).
Limitations: Trial quality was generally low. Safety data were often not reported.
Conclusion: In patients with knee osteoarthritis, viscosupplementation is associated with a small and clinically irrelevant benefit and an increased risk for serious adverse events.
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