New Viscoelastic Hydrogel Hymovis MO.RE. Single Intra-articular Injection for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis in Sportsmen: Safety and Efficacy Study Results

Abstract

Viscosupplementation by hyaluronic acid (HA) is recommended for non-surgical management of knee osteoarthritis (OA). This study investigated the efficacy and safety of a single i.a. (32 mg/4 ml) Hymovis MO.RE. injection, a new HA derivative hydrogel, for the treatment of adult regular sports players affected by knee OA arising from overuse injuries. Patients were prospectively enrolled if regularly practicing sports and diagnosed with Kellgren-Lawrence grade I-III OA. They received a single Hymovis MO.RE. intra-articular (i.a.) injection and were evaluated 30, 90, 180, and 360 days thereafter. The assessment involved measuring changes in knee function, pain, the activity of daily living (ADL), and quality of life (QOL) by using the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), GAIT analysis, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores for knee pain (WOMAC A) and function (WOMAC C), and a visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score. The study involved thirty-one patients, 23 women and eight men, whose median age was 49. KOOS function subscore, as well as GAIT cadence and velocity, showed a statistically significant increase at each time-point after injection (p < 0.0001). WOMAC, KOOS pain, symptoms, ADL, and QOL scores also significantly improved at all control visits. No severe adverse events or treatment-related events were detected. A single Hymovis MO.RE. (32 mg/4 ml) intra-articular injection provides a rapid, lasting, and safe response in regular sports players affected by knee OA, possibly representing a viable therapeutic option for this demanding patient subgroup. Further investigations are necessary to confirm these findings.

Therapeutic Exercise and Conservative Injection Treatment for Early Knee Osteoarthritis in Athletes: A Scoping Review

“…Among the injection treatments, intra-articular (i.a.) viscosupplementation with hyaluronic acid (HA) represents a valid therapeutic strategy for people who regularly practice sport activity and who are diagnosed of mild to moderate kOA [47].…”

Efficacy and safety of radiofrequency treatment for improving knee pain and function in knee osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

“…The WOMAC is a widely used, proprietary set of standardized questionnaires for evaluating the condition of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee and hip, including pain, stiffness, and physical functioning of the joints [ 48 , 49 ]. The WOMAC is more sensitive to changes than the OKS following nonsurgical interventions for knee OA, including the effects of physical therapy, weight loss, electrotherapy corticosteroid injection, intra-articular hyaluronic acid injection, and autologous chondrocyte implantation [ 50 – 52 ]. In the present study, RCTs with patients who had undergone knee arthroplasty or arthroscopic surgery were excluded.…”

A bond between rheumatic diseases and cancer in the elderly: The interleukin‐6 pathway

“…3 All these conditions, rheumatic diseases, as osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and cancer, typically arise among older people. [4][5][6] Thus, the elderly typically represents a population with various comorbidities, and, interestingly, a common cytokine-based pro-inflammatory path is bonding these age-related conditions (Figure 1).…”

“…Indeed, although the link between inflammation and cancer has been historically debated, IL‐6 has been reported to be involved in inflammation‐associated tumorigenesis, and a role for IL‐6 has emerged in several oncological scenarios 3 . All these conditions, rheumatic diseases, as osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and cancer, typically arise among older people 4‐6 . Thus, the elderly typically represents a population with various comorbidities, and, interestingly, a common cytokine‐based pro‐inflammatory path is bonding these age‐related conditions (Figure 1).…”