Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, affecting nearly 21 million Americans (12.1% of the population). OA is more common in older people, but younger people can get it as well, usually as the result of joint injury, joint malformation, or a genetic defect in joint cartilage.¹⁹

Factors that may contribute to the OA of the knee include:

Age
Overuse of the knee joint
Job- or sports-related injuries
Prior surgery
Being overweight
Muscle weakness
Family history
Presence of other diseases or other types of arthritis²⁰

How does OA damage the knee?

OA causes both mechanical and chemical changes in the knee:

The joint fluid may lose its ability to protect the joint.²¹
Smooth cartilage that normally protects the ends of the bones may lose its cushioning effect or become pitted and frayed. Large areas of cartilage may wear away completely, so the bones scrape painfully over each other.
Cartilage breakdown may cause the joint to lose its shape, the bone ends may thicken, and osteophytes may form.
Fragments of bone or cartilage may float in the joint space, causing further damage and pain.¹⁹

Early diagnosis and treatment are key to controlling disease progression

Note that while most people over 60 reflect OA on x-ray, only 1/3 present with symptoms.²²

View an animation of OA of the knee progression

Treatment options for OA knee pain
HYALGAN® facts

Important Safety Information for HYALGAN®

HYALGAN® is indicated for the treatment of pain in osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conservative nonpha-rmacologic therapy, and to simple analgesics, eg, acetaminophen
HYALGAN® is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to hyaluronate preparations. Intra-articular injections are contraindicated in cases of past and present infections or skin diseases in the area of the injection site
The effectiveness of a single treatment cycle of less than 3 injections has not been established
In the US clinical trial of 495 patients, the only adverse event showing statistical significance vs placebo was injection-site pain
Other adverse events included gastrointestinal complaints, headache, local ecchymosis and rash, local joint pain and swelling, and local pruritus. However, the incidence of these events was similar in the HYALGAN®-treated and placebo groups
In other clinical studies, the frequency and severity of adverse events occurring during repeat treatment cycles did not increase over that reported for a single treatment cycle

Click here for additional important information for HYALGAN®.