European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

VISCOSUPPLEMENTS WITH LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT AND HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT IN THE TREATMENT OF KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

Arianit Bajraktari, Rina Hoxha, Ismet H. Bajraktari, Avni Kryeziu and Halit Bajraktari*

ABSTRACT

In the prospective-randomized study we have followed up action of paraenteral – intraarticular therapy with hyaluronic acid of small molecular weight and high molecular weight among the patients with knee Osteoarthritis. In the study were included 259 patients – 70 males and 189 females separated in 2 group. Patients belong to various group ages with the mean age of 54.2 year old.Osteoarthritis belongs to the II – III radiological scale according to Kellgren – Lawrence classification. Results are following: after the third week of treatment, among 83.3% of patients treated with the high molecular weight (HMW) ampoule, we have observed subsided pain according the Likert Scale and increase in the movement amplitude, whereas this percentage among the patients treated with the low molecular weight (LMW) ampoule was 64.6 %. During the first month of treatment this percentage was 23.8 % for treatment with LMW ampoule, respectively 7.7% for treatment with HMW ampoule. After the third month of treatment improvements were achieved in 8.8% of patients treated with LMW ampoule, respectively in 2.6% of those treated with HMW ampoule. After 24 weeks 22.2% of patients treated with HMW ampoule needed re-treatment, 74% of them needed re-treatment after 38 weeks, whereas 3.8% of patients needed re-treatment after more than 1 year. During the treatment with LMW ampoules, re-treatment was necessary after 24 weeks among 65.2% of cases, another 33.4% of cases needed re-treatment after 36 weeks, while re-treatment after 1 year was needed for 1.4% of cases. The best results are achieved in intra-articular application of the high molecular weight hyaluronic acid. Viscosupplementation is a simple and low-cost method, with no side effects and is applicable when other treatment methods are exhausted.

Keywords: Osteoarthritis, Viscosupplementation, Hyaluronic acid.