Comparative Study of the Efficacy of Hyaluronic Acid, Dry Needling and Combined Treatment in Patellar Osteoarthritis-Single-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health 2022-09, Vol.19 (17), p.10912
• Main Authors: Saornil, Jorge Velázquez, Sánchez Milá, Zacarías, Campón Chekroun, Angélica M, Baraja Vegas, Luis, Vicente Mampel, Juan, Frutos Llanes, Raúl, Barragán Casas, José Manuel, Rodríguez-Sanz, David
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Arthritis; Body height; Body mass; Body mass index; Body size; Cartilage; Combined treatment; Comparative studies; Dry Needling; Humans; Hyaluronic acid; Hyaluronic Acid - therapeutic use; Informed consent; Injections, Intra-Articular; Isometric; Knee; Medical research; Osteoarthritis; Osteoarthritis, Knee - therapy; Pain; Quadriceps muscle; Questionnaires; Single-Blind Method; Statistical analysis; Trauma; Treatment Outcome; Variables; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710912

Osteoarthritis of the knee is one of the most common ailments worldwide, and pain management of this condition is critical. A multicentre randomized controlled trial RCT with three months of follow-up, conducted in parallel groups: hyaluronic acid (HA), dry needling (DN) and ultrasound (US) and isometrics of quadriceps. 60 participants took part in the RCT who were diagnosed with osteoarthritis (Grade 3) of the knee by MRI and active adults (age: 23.41 ± 1.68 years; height: 1.79 ± 0.08 m; body mass: 78.33 ± 9.03 kg; body mass index (BMI): 24.14 ± 1.45 kg/m ). After the assigned intervention, VAS, WOMAC, IPAQ and the Star Excursion Balance test were measured at baseline. At 24 h, 15 days, 30 days, 90 days and 180 days follow-up, all variables were measured again. Comparing statistically significant differences between groups, VAS scores were significant at post-test measurement (HA vs. US + isometric and DN vs. US + isometric) at 24 h (HA vs. DN), at 15 days (HA vs. US + isometric and DN vs. US + isometric) and at 1 month (US + isometric vs. HA and US + isometric vs. DN). There is an improvement in pain intensity in knee osteoarthritis in the short term in patients undergoing DN and conventional US + isometric treatment, but in the long term the HA group shows an improvement in pain intensity. There is also a significant difference in the improvement of knee function at different phases of the study in the various intervention groups. The combination of DN and HA in clinical practice is the best option for the treatment of osteoarthritis.