Gel injections

Hi dna41,
I also have painful osteoarthritis in my right knee. I was managing the pain with exercise and hot/cold packs but in December 2023 my usual methods of pain management were no longer working and I was in a lot of pain every time I had to walk for more than 5-10 minutes. My orthopedic surgeon recommended 3 injections of Gel-One hyaluronate viscoelastic hydrogel, since it is covered by my insurance. Another option is PRP - Platelet Rich Plasma injections - but they are not covered by my insurance.
I had three weekly injections of Gel-One on Jan 4, Jan 11, and Jan 18. There was minimal pain during the injection ( lidocaine injections were used before the gel injections to minimize any pain from the Gel-One.) I did not have any side effects from the injections. and no noticeable swelling or additional pain after the injections.

I was told that results would be maximized within 6 weeks of my final injection which was on Jan 18. Thus I was expecting to feel relief by the first week of March. Well- no improvement - diminishment of knee pain yet. I have been doing mild stretching and straightening of my knee during the healing period - but I still can’t walk for more than 5-10 minutes without having to stop and massage my knee. So I would say Gel-One was not effective for me.
Here is a PubMed study on Hyaluronic Gel injections and the outcomes experienced by the patients. Probably if I had read this article before I had the Gel injections I would not have had the injections.

Best wishes to you, I hope you find a treatment that works for you.

My mom considered the gel injections after a steroid injection was somewhat helpful, but we knew it wasn’t long-term solution, plus so many side effects. Her orthopedist and PCP were honest with us about the gel injections tending to not be very successful. They didn’t recommend it. She had “bone on bone” arthritis and ended up opting for a knee replacement.

Thank you for your comment. I would like to avoid surgery if I can. Hope your mom's was successful.

Thank you for all the interesting information. Like most of us, I was looking for something conclusive but it looks like that is wishful thinking on my part!

I am on several social health sites and a woman on one of them posted that she had excellent results with the Gel injections.
Her post was what helped me to decide to give Gel-One a try. The problem is we are all so unique. What works for some people may not work for us. The current status of our joints and overall health affects the way medications work for us. You just have to weigh the information available and the risks and benefits and make a decision that you feel will work for you.

My husband has knee OA but not a surgery candidate yet. He goes to the ortho and gets an injection on Kenalog when needed. The first shot lasted a year with no pain. He went in several months ago now and had the second shot when the shot was less effective at the end of the first year. He just calls for an appointment, gets the shot and walks out. He may need a knee replacement eventually, but at least he's not getting cortisone shots.

Kenalog and cortisone are both different types of steroid injections. I have keloid scarring (scar tissue overgrowth that gets painful) and get regular kenalog injections into the scar to help with the pain and flatten it, but since it’s just into the scar and not where there are tendons and ligaments, the risks are low.

I’m glad your husband has found something that works for him and for such a long period of time.

My wife and I have had synvisc (spelling?) knee injections to lubricate the joint, and have found them helpful. She has had that knee replaced now and I'm scheduled for September. I think it's time for me to get another injection to hold me over until then.
Jim

Thank you for your input. The message I seem to be getting is that injections are not really a solution and that a replacement will probably be necessary at some point.

You might look into PRP injections or MFAT procedure. These are regenerative procedures. Unfortunately, they are out of pocket. I had success with PRP in my right knee. My left was too far gone so I had the MFAT this is where they liposuction fat and then inject that into your affected joint. I had it done six months ago. My left knee was bone on bone and I am considerably better not perfect. I’m still 70 but if it stays like this, I can deal with it I do not want to have a joint replacement.