New research out of Germany suggests that targeting specific arteries in the knee with a blood blocking procedure could significantly improve symptoms in patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis.
The technique, called genicular artery embolization (GAE), was shown to improve patients’ quality of life by 87 percent and their pain by 71 percent at a one-year follow up, according to researchers.
“Our study found that GAE can effectively reduce knee pain and improve quality of life early after the treatment, with these benefits being maintained over the long term, especially for people who haven’t had success with other treatments like physical therapy or pain medications,” said lead researcher Dr. Florian Nima Fleckenstein, an interventional radiologist at Charité – University Hospital Berlin in Germany.
Why Blood Blocking Works
We assume that our body needs access to a consistent amount of oxygen-rich blood, and for most structures, this is absolutely the case. However, that may not be the case in some arthritic joints.
In our knees, the genicular arteries are a collection of six arteries that meet to form a network around the joint. In patients with moderate to severe knee arthritis, these arteries may be damaged or altered. By strategically blocking blood flow to these arteries at the site of knee pain, researchers hypothesized that inflammation and the growth of new nerves that increase pain sensations may be limited.
For their study, researchers recruited more than 400 people between the ages of 40 to 90 with documented moderate to severe knee arthritis that had failed to respond to other forms of treatment. Patients in the blood blocking group underwent a procedure that involved injecting small particles into specific blood vessels to inhibit blood flow.
The majority of patients saw an increase in quality of life and a decrease in knee pain after the procedure, and the results found that the procedure was particularly effective for patients dealing with early stage knee arthritis.
The findings were presented last week at the Radiological Society of North America annual meeting in Chicago, and while they are encouraging, it’s worth noting that this type of research should be considered preliminary until it is published in a peer-reviewed journal. That said, Fleckstein and his colleagues believe that if GAE continues to show promise, it could provide another treatment avenue for patients who have not found relief from knee osteoarthritis symptoms through more common methods.
“This could potentially offer a new lease on life for many patients who suffer from debilitating pain and mobility issues caused by osteoarthritis,” Fleckenstein said in a news release. “GAE has the potential to reduce the need for more invasive surgeries, lower health care costs and significantly improve the quality of life for countless individuals suffering from knee osteoarthritis.”
For now, we’ll continue to focus on the tried and true methods for overcoming knee osteoarthritis – physical therapy and minimally invasive knee replacement surgery. To learn more about these options, or to discuss your joint pain with a specialist, reach out to Dr. Botero and his team today at (865) 558-4444.
