How effective are hyaluronic acid injections for osteoarthritis?
Hyaluronic acid injections seem to work better in some people than others. They may be less effective in elderly people and people with severe OA. The results of studies on their effectiveness as an osteoarthritis treatment have been mixed. A 2002 study published in Rheumatology found that, in the short term, an injection of hyaluronic acid did not reduce joint pain any better than an injection of salt water. An analysis of seven studies published in the Journal of Family Practice in 2006 concluded that the benefits — if any — were slight. But another analysis of 20 studies from 2004 found that hyaluronic acid injections did lessen pain and increase knee function in people with OA. And an earlier analysis — of eight clinical trials involving 971 people — found that people treated with hyaluronic acid did better than those treated with a placebo, both at the end of their treatment and six months later. More recent research has found that the injections relieved pain about as well as
