Changes in Knee Joint Space Width in Treatment with a New Hyaluronic-Based Hydrogel

Abstract

Objective : Our purpose was to assess the effect of a new hyaluronic acid-based (Hymovis®) injections on joint space width narrowing in patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis. Methods: A prospective clinical trial was conducted in the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology II from the Clinical County Hospital, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania. Thirty-five patients diagnosed with idiopathic knee osteoarthritis received two intraarticular injections with hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel (24 mg of hyaluronic acid/3 ml) at one-week interval. Anteroposterior radiographs were obtained before the injections, at six and twelve months after. Minimum joint space width was measured by two senior orthopaedics surgeons at each follow up. Each radiograph was measured again by the same evaluators two weeks apart.Results: Thirty-one patients were present at the final follow-up. A minor reduction in mean weight was noticed (from 82.2 kg ± 16.2 kg to 80.9 kg ± 16.0, p > 0.398) without any correlation with joint space width narrowing. There were no major changes at the first follow up (6 months) regarding joint space narrowing. A reduction in joint space width was observed however at 12 months varying from 4.4 mm (SD ± 1.64, range 1.8-7.1) at the first assessment to 4.3 mm (SD ± 1.26, range 0.0-6.8) at the final follow-up but with no statistical difference (p=0.237).Conclusion: No significant modification in joint space width at the final follow-up secondarily proved that two injections of Hymovis® may slow down narrowing in the knee joint space over a one-year period.