A new, minimally invasive procedure called genicular artery embolisation (GAE) can effectively reduce pain, improve quality of life and reduce progression of the disease and the need for knee replacement surgery in people with knee osteoarthritis.
Knee osteoarthritis is a leading cause of chronic pain and disability that affects more than 365 million adults worldwide.
Genicular arteries are a network of arteries that supply blood to the knee joint. These arteries are altered in patients suffering from osteoarthritis. GAE involves injecting small particles into specific blood vessels to block blood flow to the site of knee pain which helps reduce inflammation, cartilage destruction and sensory nerve growth that is typical in osteoarthritis.
A German study presented at the Radiological Society of North America annual meeting involved 403 patients, aged 40 to 90, with moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis that didn't respond to standard treatments like physical therapy or pain medications. Results showed that the procedure improved patients’ quality of life by 87 per cent and reduced their pain by 71 per cent one-year post procedure.
Severe complications were not reported. The study found that 18 per cent of the patients had temporary slight skin discolouration and mild knee pain immediately after the procedure.
“GAE has the potential to reduce the need for more invasive surgeries, lower health care costs and significantly improve the quality of life for countless individuals suffering from knee osteoarthritis," the lead researcher said.
