earticle

영어

Background: The multitude of the therapeutic usefulness of intra-articular injection of hyaluronate on oateoarthritis of the knee is still in question. The objective of this systemic review was to elucidate both the therapeutic efficacy and the safety of intra-articular administration of hyaluronic acid for degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee joints. Methods: I searched MEDLINE and Korea Medical Database (KMbase) from January 1990 to April 2007 using a combination search terms for knee osteoarthritis and hyaluronic acid and a filter for randomized controlled trials. I extracted data on pain at rest, and during or just after movement, on joint function, and on adverse events. Results: Ten trials that reported usable quantitative information on any of the predefined end points were identified and included in the systemic review. Intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid can decrease symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee. The study revealed significant improvements in pain and functional outcomes with few adverse effects. However, there was significant between-study heterogeneity in the estimates of the efficacy of hyaluronic acid. Sub-group analysis showed that lower methodological quality such as a single-blind or single-center design resulted in higher estimates hyaluronic acid efficacy, and that patients older than sixty years of age and those with the most advanced radiographic stage of osteoarthritis were less likely to benefit from intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid. Conclusion: According to the currently available evidence, intra-articular hyaluronic acid has been proven clinically effective for the patients bearing the knee osteoarthritis with NSAID-induced GI troubles or inapplicable to any surgery, and may be associated with lower risk of adverse events.