Hyaluronic acid injections have increased for knee arthritis - despite recommendations against their use
For Medicare beneficiaries with knee osteoarthritis, the use of hyaluronic acid (HA) injections has increased in recent years, despite clinical guidelines recommending against the use of this treatment, reports a study in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio in partnership with Wolters Kluwer.
In 2013, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) published updated clinical practice guidelines recommending against the use of HA injections for patients with knee osteoarthritis, citing a lack of high-quality data to support the effectiveness of this procedure. Despite this recommendation, "[W]e found that HA services continued to be widely implemented among this patient population," according to the new research by Atul F. Kamath, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic and colleagues.
Use of HA injections has increased – with advanced practice providers driving the trend
The researchers analyzed data on Medicare Part B claims to assess the utilization rates and associated costs of HA injections for knee osteoarthritis between 2012 and 2018. The study included data for an average of 11,169 providers per year.
Knee osteoarthritis is a very common condition and a leading cause of disability in older adults. HA injections are given with the aim of reducing pain and improving functioning by supplementing the fluid within the knee joint. However, as reflected by the 2013 AAOS guidelines, available evidence does not meet the minimum clinically important improvement thresholds for patients with knee osteoarthritis. In their study, Dr. Kamath and colleagues assessed whether and how this recommendation has affected the use of HA injections.
https://www.jbjs.org/mreader.php?id=210761&rsuite_id=3137040&native=1&source=The_Journal_of_Bone_and_Joint_Surgery/Publish Ahead of Print//10.2106/JBJS.21.00832/abstract&topics=oe+rb#info?utm_source_press&utm_medium=press&utm_campaign=jbs_pr_121421
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