Viscosupplementation | Treatment for Knee Arthritis

Knee arthritis can be a debilitating and painful condition, as its sufferers know all too well. It arises as a degenerative condition, in which the cartilage, fluids, and other components of the knee are broken down from years and years of repetitive stresses such as torsion, impacts, and other abrupt movements. This degradation can even progress to the point at which there is direct contact between the bones of the knee joint, with effectively no shock absorption material remaining.

Traditionally, arthritis of the knee has been treated in a number of conservative manners, such as through the use of non-prescription and prescription pain relievers, physical therapy, and the application of topical products, heat, and ice.

However, when these conservative measures fail, a more aggressive therapy, known as a viscosupplementation, can be undertaken. In this procedure, a doctor injects fluid – specifically synthetic hyaluronic acid – directly into the knee joint, replacing the natural fluid that has been degraded and lost over time. This treatment can be a one-time procedure, or can be done repeatedly as needed. After the completion of this therapy, patients often feel significant relief for up to six months, after which the need for additional therapy can be reassessed.

Key Points:

  • 1Viscosupplementation is an effective way for treating knee pain and stiffness when other techniques like perscription drugs don’t work.
  • 2Viscosupplementation is done by injecting a synthetic fluid into the knee.
  • 3Relief typically lasts for about 6 months, and the process can be repeated after that time.


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Written by HealthStatus
Medical Writer & Editor

HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our health risk assessment, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years.

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