![]() When platelets travel to a site of injury and aggregate there, they release a number of healing factors from their alpha granules – encouraging structural repair and tissue formation. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections are based on the idea that the body’s natural response to injury is a healing process at the site of tissue damage. Injectable biologics are natural products that are harvested to supplement the biology of healing. In recent years there has been a shift in the focus of the non-surgical treatment of knee arthritis – looking for a biologic solution to try and enhance cartilage repair and functional recovery. Patients older than 65 and those with more significant arthritis tend to have worse results compared to younger patients with less severe disease. A number of clinical studies have demonstrated a reduction in knee arthritis pain and improved knee motion and function in patients with a duration of effectiveness lasting 6-12 months – longer term benefit compared to steroid injections. HA injections are safe with no known risk of drug interactions and have been shown to be most effective in mild to moderate knee arthritis. Injecting synthetic HA into an arthritic knee joint is believed to stimulate the production of new HA by the body, to improve joint lubrication and shock absorption, has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties and can help protect the joint cartilage from further wear and tear. Without normal joint fluid, patients with cartilage wear experience inflammation, pain and swelling. The concept behind HA injections is that patients with knee arthritis have a limited ability to produce normal joint fluid – the material that lubricates and nourishes joint cartilage. Hyaluronic Acid (HA) viscosupplementation injections – often called gel shots or lubricant shots – have gained increased attention and utilization in the last 10 years. Corticosteroid injections remain an important tool for the orthopedic surgeon to control symptoms in patients with knee arthritis but they are often considered a short term treatment of a chronic problem. Additionally, steroid injections are associated with potential side effects including skin depigmentation, local fat atrophy, a temporary increase in blood sugar level in patients with diabetes and the potential for a negative impact on joint cartilage over time following repeated injections. Studies have shown that the beneficial effect of a steroid injection typically diminishes within 3 months. While steroid injections commonly result in symptom improvement within a few days, their effectiveness reduces with time. Corticosteroids provide acute pain relief by reducing the extent of inflammation of the joint lining (synovitis). ![]() Intra-articular corticosteroid injections have been used to treat symptomatic arthritic joints for more than 50 years.
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