Joint Lavage Effectively Improves Knee Osteoarthritis Pain

Knee osteoarthritis, a condition notorious for its challenging treatment, might see a glimmer of hope with a therapeutic technique known as joint lavage (JL). Patients with knee osteoarthritis often seek medical attention due to relentless pain, and this study published in JCR: Journal of Clinical Rheumatology assessed the effectiveness of JL in alleviating this discomfort. Moreover, it explored the potential knee joint changes detected through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that could impact the prognosis of patients who undergo JL.

In this research, a group of 82 hospitalized patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis and who received JL were closely examined. The study collected and analyzed clinical data, including Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scores, Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index pain subscale scores, analgesic medication usage, adverse events, and MRI data of the affected knee joint evaluated using the MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score. 

The results painted a positive picture. After JL treatment, NRS scores exhibited a significant decrease that was sustained for at least 6 months. The Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index pain scores also dropped significantly, as did the percentage of patients relying on analgesic medications.

Remarkably, 51 out of the 82 patients experienced a noteworthy improvement of ≥50% in their NRS scores after six months of JL treatment, categorizing it as effective.

Further analysis revealed key factors influencing the success of JL therapy. The duration of pain experienced by patients, the bone marrow lesion score, and the cartilage loss score all significantly impacted the therapeutic efficacy of JL. These findings suggest that JL can be particularly beneficial for patients with shorter pain durations, less severe bone marrow lesions, and milder cartilage loss.

Reference:

Li, S., Jiang, X., Wang, J., Chen, Y., Shi, R., Ding, F., Chu, L., & Sun, T. (2023). Clinical Efficacy of 2-Needle Joint Lavage for Osteoarthritis-Related Knee Pain and Predictors of Response Based on Knee MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score: A Medical Records Review Study. In JCR: Journal of Clinical Rheumatology. Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). https://doi.org/10.1097/rhu.0000000000002029