Interventional Treatment of Knee Pain (Non-surgical treatment of Knee Pain)
1. Intraarticular Steroid injections:
Patients with severe pain in the knee, joint effusions, and local signs of inflammation benefit from intraarticular injections of corticosteroids (triamcinolone 40 mg). This will be effective for a short-term period in reducing pain and increasing quadriceps strength. Some patients will require about 2 to 3 injections in a year, to use aseptic precautions, the infection rate is negligible. Sometimes mild flare-ups are possible in joint inflammation following intraarticular injections. Repeated steroid injections are not recommended for the fear of damaging the cartilage of weight-bearing joints.
2. Prolotherapy and Prolozone Therapy:
Injection of tissue proliferants (like ozone, dextrose, etc.) inside the joint and around the joint reduces pain, and inflammation and strengthens ligaments. It is also claimed that they promote cartilage growth
3. Visco-supplementation:
High molecular weight hyaluronic acid resembling synovial fluid is very helpful particularly in early osteoarthritis with knee pain. Newer research publications on this issue indicate that visco-supplementation with a high molecular weight hyaluronic acid salt has anti-inflammatory action and regeneration properties apart from its lubrication effects. It also activates platelets and therefore it is very commonly used with platelet-rich plasma injection.