Clinical observation of intra-articular hyaluronic acid injection for 55 symptomatic knee osteoarthritis

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of intra-articular hyaluronic acid(HA) injection for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods:fifty-five symptomatic knee OA patients received 20 mg hyaluronic acid by intra-articular injection once a week for 5 consecutive weeks.Clinical assessment included tender,swollen and limitation of joints,night pain, walking pain,morning stiffness,walking distance and stair-climbing et al before every injection.The duration of assessment was from three months to two years in fifty-three patients after the treatment.Results:Seventeen patients were obviously improved and thirty-two patients were improved after intra-articular HA injections.HA is efficient for patients with slight and mild OA, but has little effect on those severe OA. Intra-articular HA and corticosteroid injections together are better than injection by each of them.Conclusion:HA is an effective and safe drug for the patients with slight and mild OA.It has long-time effect and merits further study.