For Knee Osteoarthritis Pain - Injected Steroids Effective Early - Hyaluronic Acid Better Later Medscape

Description: ntra-articular corticosteroids are a good early treatment for knee osteoarthritis pain, according to a meta-analysis by Boston-based researchers. However, hyaluronic acid injected into the knee joint appears to be more effective in the long term. In the December 15th issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism, Dr. Timothy E. McAlindon of Tufts University School of Medicine and colleagues note that doctors often use corticosteroids to treat osteoarthritis, and that guidelines recommend them as an adjunctive treatment, but synthetic hyaluronic acid is also widely employed. The researchers examined data from 7 randomized trials that compared the intra-articular use of these two agents.