Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of knee pain in adults. In fact, it will affect nearly half of all Americans in their lifetime and is more prevalent in women than men.
A progressive, inflammatory disease, osteoarthritis will worsen over time. The chronic inflammation can cause significant pain and accelerate the destruction of cartilage within the knee.
The exact cause of OA is not known but several factors can contribute to its development, including age, being overweight, genetics, and repetitive, stressful activities that impact the knees. Recently, researchers have learned that people with knee osteoarthritis develop abnormal blood vessels (hypervascularity) in the synovium—the lining of the knee. This hypervascularity is shown to contribute to inflammation, pain and the progression of the disease itself.
If the pain is not severe, conservative treatments such as pain medication and physical therapy may be tried. When pain worsens, patients may be encouraged to try gel or corticosteroid injections to manage the pain. In the past, it was believed that these were the steps to be taken before the cartilage had degenerated to the point when total knee replacement surgery was the one remaining option.
Total knee replacement surgery is considered to be the gold standard for treating severe knee osteoarthritis. For many, it is their only option to restore knee function and permanently treat the pain. Unfortunately, many people refuse to have this surgery, perhaps because of the long, sometimes painful recovery.
Today, there is another option, for people with moderate to severe knee OA and who still have knee cartilage remaining. It’s called genicular artery embolization (GAE), and if the procedure is performed early enough, may help you avoid knee surgery down the road. Click here if you’d like to take our quiz to see if you qualify for GAE treatment.