Knee pain? You are not alone. Over 20 million Americans suffer from degeneration joint disease or osteoarthritis (OA). The knee joint cartilage undergoes wear and degenerative tears associated with advancing age. Additional risk factors for OA include being overweight, prior joint injury, having family members with arthritis, weak muscles and deformity of the joint.
You should see your orthopedic surgeon to evaluate and properly diagnose your knee pain. If degenerative cartilage and OA is a source of your knee pain, your orthopedist may offer you the option of hyaluronan injections. This usually involves a series of one injection per week for five weeks. The goal of hyaluronan injection is to supplement the hyaluronan in the knee which is a natural chemical found in the synovial fluid of the joint. The hyaluronana acts like a lubricant and shock absorber in the synovial fluid. Although results may vary, many patients with moderate OA feel significant pain relief following hyaluronan injections.
