Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Orthopedic Surgery

Introduction: Post-traumatic osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of articular joints that results in the irreversible destruction of hyaline cartilage. Through persistent pain and eventual loss of joint function, advanced PTOA reduces quality of life and places the patient at greater risk for the development of comorbidities. A promising route of drug administration during the early phase after joint injury is intra-articular injection. Aim of study: The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of intra-articular injection of Hyaluronic acid into the knee joint with intra-articular fracture in prevention of posttraumatic osteoarthritis. Materials and methods: This prospective case-control study involved 40 patients (20 in each group) with intra-articular knee fracture .They were treated in the hospital and evaluated after 18 months. 20 patients were injected with three intra-articular Hyaluronic acid injections at weekly interval starting immediately after surgery and 20 patients without injection. Patients presented to the emergency department of Cairo University Hospitals between the periods from November 2015 to April 2017. Results: The results showed Patients treated with intra-articular Hyaluronic acid injection after fixation had significantly less pain (KOOS) (P = 0.001). No significant difference was found between both groups in other symptoms, complications, functional outcome or quality of life. Conclusion: Our study supports a direct role for Hyaluronic acid in the acute phase of the inflammatory process that follows articular injury and provides initial evidence of efficacy for IA HA

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