Subchondral Bone Injections for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis
Abstract
The existing literature on whether subchondral bone injections in knee osteoarthritis is advisable for relieving patient pain is minimal and the level of evidence is low. A recent case series (2023) analyzed 30 individuals with knee OA (Kellgren-Lawrence 2-3). It showed that combined intraarticular and subchondral BMAC (bone marrow aspirate concentrate injections) provided clinical and imaging benefits up to 24 months for the treatment of symptomatic knee OA, with a low failure rate, and a significant reduction of bone marrow edema. Besides, VAS (visual analog scale) pain worsened at the final follow-up, although remained lower compared to the baseline value. Although some studies mention that subchondral bone injections can relieve pain in mild/moderate knee OA, it does not seem reasonable to advise it until better-designed research can confirm the preliminary studies discussed in this article.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case series, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health. Reported size: 30 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Irisin Enhances Osteoblast DifferentiationIn Vitro
- Glucocorticoids suppress Wnt16 expression in osteoblasts in vitro and in vivo
- Interaction between Schwann Cells and Osteoblasts In Vitro
- Administration of cinnamaldehyde promotes osteogenesis in ovariectomized rats and differentiation of osteoblast in vitro
- The Effect of the Major Components of Fructus Cnidii on Osteoblasts In Vitro
- Estrogen depletion alters osteogenic differentiation and matrix production by osteoblasts in vitro
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.