Now, a jab that will help you delay knee surgery

Publication: The Times Of India Mumbai; Date: Oct 14, 2010; Section: Times Nation; Page: 19


Now, a jab that will help you delay knee surgery

Gel-Like Substitute For Synovial Fluid Works Wonders

Revathi Ramanan TNN

Chennai: It is now possible for osteoarthritis patients to be relieved of pain and delay knee-replacement surgery, by undergoing a procedure called visco supplementation.

It is a procedure by which a gel-like substance that mimics the naturally available synovial fluid (present in joints), is injected into the joint to supplement the viscous properties of the synovial fluid. It is particularly effective for younger people suffering from osteoarthritis and helps them delay surgery. “Nowadays because of more awareness among the people we see more cases of osteoarthritis and that too in people in their early forties. Visco supplementation helps us provide relief to those patients,” said Dr G Rajasekar, rheumatologist at Sri Ramachandra Medical University. He also mentioned that because of the sedentary lifestyles which people lead, osteoarthritis can set in earlier because of the related obesity.

“Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease which is characterised by loss of cartilage. Visco supplementation works when cartilage is available and not in the later stages of osteoarthritis when surgery or joint replacement is the only option,” said Dr Rajasekar. Knee osteoarthritis, he said, was the most common type of osteoarthritis and India has the second largest patient base of over 15 million. “Women are more susceptible to it and it worsens with age,” he said.

P Meena (67), who suffers from osteoarthritis and underwent visco supplementation, said that the procedure has provided her relief and she was able to carry on with household activities without much pain. “Though the pain is not completely gone, it has reduced to a great extent. I was scared that I would have to undergo surgery but now after this procedure I exercise regularly, take vitamin tablets and I feel much better,” she said.

Dr P V Mohandass of MIOT hospitals said there was a chance that corticosteroids (drugs to reduce inflammation or pain) could destroy the joints. Plus, they cannot be given to people who have diabetes. “Visco supplementation is better than giving corticosteroids because it encourages the knee to generate its own natural fluid,” said Dr AB Govindaraj, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Guest Hospital.

But, visco supplementation is not an alternative to surgery, cautioned Dr Mohandass. “It gives only temporary relief for the pain. It isn’t curative in nature,” he said. Dr Govindaraj said the procedure had to be repeated once every year and every injection costs around 15,000.

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Those with knee pain due to osteoarthritis now have an option to delay surgery by going in for a treatment called Visco supplementation