The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons provided a new clinical practice guideline for the management of ankle osteoarthritis, according to a July 2 news release from AAOS.
Here are five things to know:
- Treatment options for ankle osteoarthritis have improved, creating the need for an evidence-based guideline.
- The two treatment recommendations are a moderate recommendation against using intra-articular platelet-rich plasma to treat symptomatic ankle osteoarthritis, and a strong recommendation against using intra-articular hyaluronic acid alone to treat ankle osteoarthritis.
- Access to hyaluronic acid remains limited because many insurance payers do not cover its use for ankle osteoarthritis. There is currently no clear, complete protocol for combining hyaluronic acid with a corticosteroid.
- The guideline contains 11 consensus recommendations and one limited-strength option, which is formed when there is little to no evidence on the topic.
- The organization is hopeful that future guidelines will review definitive surgical treatments for ankle osteoarthritis, as the new guideline only provides a broad overview of intervention options.
Read the full guideline here.
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