Prolotherapy Injection for Severe Knee Osteoarthritis

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive degenerative disease characterized by the abrasion of joint cartilage with the formation of new, irregular cartilage on the joint surface. Pain that occurs in osteoarthritis is induced by activities and relieved by rest. Degenerative processes, including age and genetics, have been associated with the development of osteoarthritis. Various problems emerge from knee OA patients, such as chronic pain, limitation in mobility, limitation in transferability, Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) dependency, limitation in social and leisure participation, and hence reduced Quality of Life (QoL). Prolotherapy stands for “proliferation therapy,” a regenerative medicine on interventional pain management in rehabilitation medicine. The primary purpose of prolotherapy injection is pain reduction and function improvement. Prolotherapy with hypertonic dextrose, as effective as hyaluronic acid or less effective than the Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) and erythropoietin, has a beneficial effect in the short, medium, and long term⁵. In addition, no side effects or severe adverse reactions were reported in patients treated with hypertonic dextrose. This case reported a 77-year-old female having severe knee osteoarthritis for more than 5 (five) years and was relieved by prolotherapy injection.

Keywords: Knee osteoarthritis, prolotherapy, interventional pain management, functional activity,rehabilitation.

DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/98-03

Publication date:March 31^st 2022