ESRA19-0232 Long-term efficacy of intraarticular infiltration with hyaluronic acid (hyalone®) in knee osteoarthritis

Background and aims Knee osteoarthritis is a chronic condition characterized by progressive destruction of the cartilage and alteration of the synovial fluid and causes pain and severely limiting the daily activity and quality of life. Patients can be treated with conservative non-pharmacologic options, pharmacologic therapies and intraarticular injections of corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid (HA). The aim of this study is to evaluate the long-term efficacy of intraarticular infiltration of HA in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Methods 22 patients treated with HA in 2018 were included in our restrospective study. All patients had osteoarthritis level I-III on the Kellgren–Lawrence scale and knee pain intensity >5 on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). An ultrasound-guided intra-articular knee injection was performed, using the lateral suprapatellar approach. After aspiration of the existing joint effusion, 4 mL (60 mg) of HA (Hyalone®) was injected. Demographic characteristics, knee pain, functional improvement and complications were registered. Results The mean age was 74.86 years (SD 10.76). 16 women/6 men. 14 right knees/8 left. Knee pain decreased in the first month in almost all patients (81.8%) and remained until 6 months (72.7%). Baseline VAS mean 7.07 (SD 1.04) and 6-month VAS mean 4.00 (SD 2.02). The functional improvement 6 six-months was >50% in 72.7% of the patients and >75% in 36.3%. There were no recorded complications. Conclusions An intraarticular knee single-injection of hyaluronic acid (Hyalone®) improves the pain and function of patients with knee osteoarthritis in the short and long term. Reducing the number of injections reduces the risk of complications.