The study followed 46 patients over the age of 40. Patients were divided into three groups, and factors such as weight and age were controlled, according to the report. The first group received sodium hyaluronate injections immediately following surgery, the second group received injections two to three weeks after surgery, and the third received no injections after surgery.
On six-month follow-up, 53 percent of patients in the control group (no injections) experienced pain with motion, compared with 5 percent of the study group, according to the report. Greater amounts of flexibility were also seen in the groups that received injections.
Some orthopedic surgeons interviewed in the report said that although the data were promising, patients with severe arthritis will eventually need total knee replacement surgery.
Read the HealthDay report on sodium hyaluronate.
