New procedure shows promise reducing knee osteoarthritis pain

Genicular artery embolization can improve pain and knee function for at least three months in patients with knee osteoarthritis, according to a study published on December 15 in Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging.The finding comes from a first-in-human trial of genicular artery embolization (GAE) using an ethiodized oil-based emulsion for the temporary treatment of knee osteoarthritis, and it suggests that the technique is safe for pain management in patients who are not candidates for surgery, the researchers noted.“GAE using an ethiodized oil-based emulsion is safe and improves pain and function in participants with [knee osteoarthritis] for at least three months,” wrote corresponding author Marc Sapoval, MD, PhD, chair of cardiovascular radiology at Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou in Paris.GAE is an emerging minimally invasive intervention for patients with painful knee osteoarthritis who are refractory to other treatments or who are reluctant to undergo or ineligible for knee replacement surgery, the researchers explained.The imaging-guided procedure involves inserting microparticles to target genicular arteries that supply the synovial lining of the knee. These microparticles block blood flow, which reduces pain signals and provides relief, they wrote. Since the introduction of GAE, however, studies demonstrating its effectiveness have only used permanent microparticles, with permanent embolization carrying a risk of ischemic skin or bone damage, they noted.In...
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