Injection-based Therapies for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Comprehensive Update

This review is designed to explore the evolving landscape of intra-articular injection therapies for knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Recent research underscores the multifaceted nature of knee OA, encompassing mechanical wear and inflammatory processes. First-line treatments (lifestyle modifications, exercise, and medications) remain foundational, supplemented by traditional intra-articular injections including corticosteroids and hyaluronic acid (HA) formulations. Furthermore, this review evaluates the physiologic effects of traditional injections as well as the growing use of platelet rich plasm (PRP) and various orthobiologics.

This review highlights the need for personalized approaches, emphasizing patient-reported symptoms and functionality. Among the various injection options of OA management, steroid injections remain the mainstay of treatment, providing short-term benefits but potentially worsening long-term degeneration of the joint. Newer injection therapies demonstrate encouraging long-term results with reduced deleterious side effects. However, further high-quality studies are needed to identify optimal preparations and populations for regenerative medicine treatments.