Osteoarthritis

There are over 100 different kinds of arthritis. The arthritis that occurs with aging or after an injury is called osteroarthritis and involves a thinning or loss of the cartilage layer. Some people even say they have a “bone on bone” joint.

Most doctors will tell you that there is no cure for osteoarthritis. Anti-inflammatories are frequently used, but there is no evidence that these medicines grow new cartilage. These anti-inflammatories can even accelerate the thinning of cartilage. Cortisone can be injected into the joints but repeated use is discouraged because it also can accelerate the degeneration of cartilage.

Synvisc or Hyalgan is a fluid made from the red comb of the rooster. When purified, it is the same viscosity (gooey-ness) of joint fluid. This fluid is injected into a knee joint once a week for three to five weeks. If successful, the patient can experience less pain for three to six months and then the procedure generally needs to be repeated. This treatment can provide significant pain relief but it does not make cartilage grow stronger or thicker.

Glucosamine and chondroitin orally has been shown to give better relief of pain than most arthritis prescription drugs (Celebrex) in moderate to severe osteoarthritis. Multiple studies have also shown that the glucosamine-chondroitin combination can grow new cartilage, but it is very slow. Most of these studies are three to five year studies. The National Institute of Health (NIH) is now undergoing a 12.5 million dollar study (GAIT study or Glucosamine Arthritis Intervention Trial) to see if the oral combination will grow cartilage.

Regenerative injection therapies using glucosamine and the use of platelet rich plasma injected directly into the site of the joint have both demonstrated encouraging results in the repair of cartilage tears and the growth of new cartilage. (See Physician’s tab for studies using RIT and PRP for osterarthritic conditions.)