HYALURONIC ACID
Injection
A Hyaluronic acid injection is used to treat knee pain caused by osteoarthritis (OA)
IT’S LIKE AN OIL CHANGE
FOR YOUR KNEE.
Hyaluronic acid also known as HA is an injection used to treat knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. It may be used in patients who are not receiving the pain relief they had hoped for from pain relievers such as acetaminophen or other pain treatments. Like a substance that occurs naturally in human joints, HA works by acting like a lubricant and shock absorber which helps with movement and function.
WHAT IS
VISCOSUPPLEMENTATION?
When you have osteoarthritis (OA), the hyaluronic acid in the affected joint thins out. Hyaluronic acid injections add to your body’s natural supply. You may hear your doctor refer to these injections as “viscosupplementation,” which literally means they help to supplement the viscous (cushioning) fluid in your joints.
THE HYALURONIC ACID PROCEDURE
Knee injections are frequently done as an office procedure, though in some circumstances, they may be done in an operating room, especially if being done in combination with another surgical procedure (such as a knee replacement on the other leg). In order to reduce the risk of infection, the procedure must be done utilizing sterile technique. Your physician will “prep” the skin with a cleaning agent, typically an alcohol or iodine-based solution and, once prepped, the injection site should only be touched with sterile gloves or a sterile needle until injection is complete.
Injections for tendon inflammation may be placed into the various sites of tendon insertion around the knee, such as the pes anserina on the inside of the shin bone or Gerdy’s tubercle on the outside of the knee.