New information on the use of intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid (viscosupplementation) for osteoarthritis of the hip has been reported by a new study from the University of Cambridge. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of intra-articular injections of viscosupplementation as a treatment for osteoarthritis of the hip, together with the duration of that effectiveness, the effect of dose, the composition and the number of injections, and the rate of adverse effects.
A systematic review of the relevant literature was carried out using the Embase, Medline, PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases. The included studies were assessed for quality by statistical methods, and a meta-analysis of the data was also carried out. Forty studies were included, with data from 3,350 patients. The level of the available evidence was low, with a high level of bias. Almost all the studies showed a reduction in pain at one month, three months and six months, and an improvement in patient-reported functional outcomes. The heterogeneity of the data, however, remained fairly high. There were no long-term adverse effects from these injections.
The authors concluded that the evidence from the study is not strong enough, but they suggest that hyaluronic acid injections improve patient-reported pain and function, compared with the control groups.
Source: Arthroscopy Journal, November 2023