In addition to weight loss and low-gravity exercise (biking, gym exercises, swimming, water exercises, Yoga, etc.), a role in improving the pain and function of the knee that has cartilage wear and tear is played by infiltrative therapies, using hyaluronic acid and/or PRP (“platelet-rich-plasma”) infiltrations.
infiltrative therapies with hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid is one of the main components of our connective tissues; in addition to being used as a component to “strengthen” or “rejuvenate” the connective tissue of our skin, hyaluronic acid also exhibits viscosity characteristics such that it can have a “visco-supplementary” effect in joints: present in various formulations (which will require different dosages), hyaluronic acid allows it to lubricate the synovial fluid present inside the joints, so as to act as shock protection for damaged cartilage surfaces.
This use, in addition to mechanical action, also manages to have a fair amount of joint anti-inflammatory action. These features can lead, especially in joints where cartilage is still partly preserved, to improvement or even disappearance of pain and subsequent functional improvement of the knee.
The benefits of hyaluronic acid, should cover a time frame of 4-6 months.
Prp (Platelet-rich-plasma)
PRP (“platelet-rich-plasma”) is derived from a concentrate-centrifugate of our blood: this gel, normally divided into several vials, contains a real concentrate of platelets, physiological components of the blood, which in turn are particularly rich naturally in growth factors.
The re-infiltration of platelet gel within our joints for the treatment of osteoarthritis can, like hyaluronic acid, have a lubricating (or rather visco-supplementary) effect but, more importantly, an anti-inflammatory capacity.
Greater efficacy than hyaluronic acid is, to date, widely debated in the orthopedic field: in recent years, numerous studies have shown substantially similar efficacy. However, producing PRP can be very expensive for public and private health care and may also pose slightly greater risks than hyaluronic acid.
The use of PRP, therefore, to date appears to be reserved for a select group of patients who can hold out hope for a better outcome.
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