Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current
    • Published Ahead of Print
    • Archive
    • Supplemental Issues
    • Collections - French
    • Collections - English
  • Info for
    • Authors & Reviewers
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • Advertisers
    • Careers & Locums
    • Subscribers
    • Permissions
  • About CFP
    • About CFP
    • About the CFPC
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
  • Feedback
    • Feedback
    • Rapid Responses
    • Most Read
    • Most Cited
    • Email Alerts
  • Blogs
    • Latest Blogs
    • Blog Guidelines
    • Directives pour les blogues
  • Mainpro+ Credits
    • About Mainpro+
    • Member Login
    • Instructions
  • Other Publications
    • http://www.cfpc.ca/Canadianfamilyphysician/
    • https://www.cfpc.ca/Login/
    • Careers and Locums

User menu

  • My alerts

Search

  • Advanced search
The College of Family Physicians of Canada
  • Other Publications
    • http://www.cfpc.ca/Canadianfamilyphysician/
    • https://www.cfpc.ca/Login/
    • Careers and Locums
  • My alerts
The College of Family Physicians of Canada

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current
    • Published Ahead of Print
    • Archive
    • Supplemental Issues
    • Collections - French
    • Collections - English
  • Info for
    • Authors & Reviewers
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • Advertisers
    • Careers & Locums
    • Subscribers
    • Permissions
  • About CFP
    • About CFP
    • About the CFPC
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
  • Feedback
    • Feedback
    • Rapid Responses
    • Most Read
    • Most Cited
    • Email Alerts
  • Blogs
    • Latest Blogs
    • Blog Guidelines
    • Directives pour les blogues
  • Mainpro+ Credits
    • About Mainpro+
    • Member Login
    • Instructions
  • RSS feeds
  • Follow cfp Template on Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
Abstract

Hyaluronic acid injections for knee osteoarthritis. Systematic review of the literature.

Canadian Family Physician February 2004, 50 (2) 249-256;
Anita Aggarwal
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Ian P Sempowski
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • eLetters
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading
  1. Anita Aggarwal and
  2. Ian P Sempowski

    Abstract

    OBJECTIVE To determine whether viscosupplementation with intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) injections improves pain and function in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) in their knees.

    DATA SOURCES We searched MEDLINE, Pre-MEDLINE, and Cochrane databases using the MeSH headings and key words osteoarthritis (knee) and hyaluronic acid.

    STUDY SELECTION English-language case series and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were selected. Studies with biologic, histologic, or arthroscopic outcomes were excluded.

    SYNTHESIS Five case series and 13 RCTs were critically appraised. Data from three case series and three RCTs using injections of high-molecular-weight HA (Synvisc) demonstrated significant improvement in pain, activity levels, and function. The beneficial effect started as early as 12 weeks. Studies using low-molecular-weight HA had conflicting results.

    CONCLUSION Viscosupplementation with high-molecular-weight HA is an effective treatment for patients with knee OA who have ongoing pain or are unable to tolerate conservative treatment or joint replacement. Viscosupplementation appears to have a slower onset of action than intra-articular steroids, but the effect seems to last longer.

    PreviousNext
    Back to top

    In this issue

    Canadian Family Physician
    Vol. 50, Issue 2
    1 Feb 2004
    • Table of Contents
    • Index by author
    Download PDF
    Article Alerts
    Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
    Email Article

    Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on The College of Family Physicians of Canada.

    NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

    Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
    Hyaluronic acid injections for knee osteoarthritis. Systematic review of the literature.
    (Your Name) has sent you a message from The College of Family Physicians of Canada
    (Your Name) thought you would like to see the The College of Family Physicians of Canada web site.
    CAPTCHA
    This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
    Citation Tools
    Hyaluronic acid injections for knee osteoarthritis. Systematic review of the literature.
    Anita Aggarwal, Ian P Sempowski
    Canadian Family Physician Feb 2004, 50 (2) 249-256;

    Citation Manager Formats

    • BibTeX
    • Bookends
    • EasyBib
    • EndNote (tagged)
    • EndNote 8 (xml)
    • Medlars
    • Mendeley
    • Papers
    • RefWorks Tagged
    • Ref Manager
    • RIS
    • Zotero
    Respond to this article
    Share
    Hyaluronic acid injections for knee osteoarthritis. Systematic review of the literature.
    Anita Aggarwal, Ian P Sempowski
    Canadian Family Physician Feb 2004, 50 (2) 249-256;
    Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
    • Tweet Widget
    • Facebook Like
    • Google Plus One

    Jump to section

    • Article
    • eLetters
    • Info & Metrics
    • PDF

    Related Articles

    • No related articles found.
    • PubMed
    • Google Scholar

    Cited By...

    • Hyaluronic acid injections for treatment of pediatric sickle cell avascular necrosis of the humeral head
    • Viscosupplementation in Knee Osteoarthritis: Evidence Revisited
    • The Hip and Knee Book: developing an active management booklet for hip and knee osteoarthritis
    • EULAR evidence based recommendations for the management of hand osteoarthritis: Report of a Task Force of the EULAR Standing Committee for International Clinical Studies Including Therapeutics (ESCISIT)
    • Google Scholar

    Similar Articles

    Navigate

    • Home
    • Current Issue
    • Archive
    • Collections - English
    • Collections - Française

    For Authors

    • Authors and Reviewers
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • Permissions
    • Terms of Use

    General Information

    • About CFP
    • About the CFPC
    • Advertisers
    • Careers & Locums
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Subscribers

    Journal Services

    • Email Alerts
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram
    • RSS Feeds

    Copyright © 2025 by The College of Family Physicians of Canada

    Powered by HighWire