Are Hyaluronic Acid Knee
Injections Effective?
Research into the Efficacy of Hyaluronic Acid
Knee Injections Continues
by Jana Willinger
Hyaluronic acid, a key
component of human tissue, aiding the body’s flexibility,
mobility and moisture retention is a popular component of many
anti-aging products but can also provide a wealth of benefits
in the medical sphere. Recently, in an attempt to find
effective treatment methods for arthritis, scientists have
found a strong association between levels of Hyaluronic acid
and severe knee and hip arthritis
known as osteoarthritis or OA.
The study, conducted by researches from the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University Medical Center,
utilized a diverse subject base of blood samples from 753 white
and black American men and women. This research is part of the
hope that early identification and intervention can improve
outcomes for people with OA, a common cause of pain and
disability among older Americans. The findings suggest that
measuring levels of Hyaluronic acid could allow doctors to help
prevent joint destruction before it can be measured on an X-ray
image.
In a similar vein, Hyaluronic acid injections have been
prescribed by doctors for over 20 years as a method for
treating osteoarthritis of the knee. Hyaluronic acid is thought
to restore elasticity to the synovial fluid that surrounds the
knee joint, which is depleted in patients with
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topics for
your further online
research:
skin eternal
hyaluronic acid
source of
hyaluronic acid
sources of
hyaluronic acid
structure of
hyaluronic acid
triflex with
hyaluronic acid
face cream with
hyaluronic acid
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
osteoarthritis of the knee. However, there is continued
debate as to the efficacy of these treatments. Recently, French
researchers compared the safety and effectiveness of the NRD101
Hyalauronic acid knee injection with an orally administered
drug, diacerein, shown by past research to have a structural
benefit in hip osteoarthritis.
Three hundred one patients were randomly assigned to receive
three courses of NRD101 injections, each involving one
injection weekly for three weeks, every three months, along
with a placebo capsule; placebo injections and diacerein twice
daily; or placebo injections and capsules. Symptoms were
evaluated both by patients and clinicians, and X-rays were
performed to evaluate the effects of treatment on the knee
structure at the beginning and end of the study. Patients in
all three groups reported improvement of their symptoms and few
patients dropped out of the study, which suggests injections
are a feasible approach to treating knee osteoarthritis.
However, the doctors did conclude that further studies were
needed to evaluate other treatment approaches using this route
of administration
Furthermore, based on research by the publication American
Family Physician, although clinical experience and studies of
available Hyaluronic acid injection products including
hyaluronan and hylan G-F 20, are inconclusive, they appear to
produce beneficial effects with minimal adverse reactions in a
significant number of patients. Thus, although research is
ongoing into the benefits of Hyaluronic acid knee injections,
it is clear that the injections are at present a viable
alternative to orally administered arthritis relief.
About the Author
E-Hyaluronicacid.com is dedicated to promoting an
understanding of Hyaluronic acid, a major ingredient in many
medical and anti-aging therapies and to highlighting places
where you can safely purchase Hyaluronic acid products. For
more information go to http://www.E-Hyaluronicacid.com
|