Single Intra-articular Hyaluronic Acid Injection Reduces Pain and Improves Function in Advanced Knee Osteoarthritis
A retrospective real-world study found that a single intra-articular (IA) injection of hyaluronic acid (HA) significantly reduced pain and improved function in patients with advanced knee osteoarthritis (OA) over a 6-month period. The findings support IA HA as a safe and effective option for symptom management in this population.
The study included 30 patients (mean age 73.1 years; 63.3% women), all treated at a pain unit between January 2021 and December 2022. Efficacy was evaluated at six months using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) for pain, stiffness, and physical function.
At six months, patients experienced a 51.3% reduction in VAS pain scores and a 52.2% reduction in WOMAC pain scores. Function improved by 44.9%, and stiffness by 60%. According to the VAS, 83.3% of patients achieved at least 20% pain improvement; 80% achieved this threshold on the WOMAC total score.
“The results support the use of IA HA as an effective and safe treatment for advanced knee OA, providing significant improvements in pain, stiffness, and function over six months,” the authors concluded.
No adverse events were reported. The study meets EU regulatory requirements to monitor safety and efficacy of medical devices throughout their lifecycle.
These real-world findings may be of interest to clinicians managing older adults with symptomatic, advanced knee OA who are not candidates for or are delaying surgery. While the sample size was limited, the consistent benefit across multiple validated outcome measures supports further investigation in larger, controlled studies.
Reference
Acín P, Santamaría A, Gómez-Rubio E, Coronel Granado P. One shot of hyaluronic acid in advanced knee osteoarthritis: postmarketing clinical follow-up for real-world evidence in a pain unit. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. Published online July 3, 2025. doi:10.1186/s12891-025-08875-7
