Viscosupplementation is a non-surgical treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee that involves injecting hyaluronic acid into the joint space. This substance occurs naturally in joint cartilage and the synovial fluid that helps to lubricate joints, though people with degenerative arthritis usually have much lower levels of the protein. Like its name implies, viscosupplementation is aimed at supplementing the viscosity, or fluid, of the knee so that the joint is cushioned and can absorb more shock.
At Tampa Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Group, we’re proud to offer our patients the leading brands of viscosupplementation, including:
In addition to lubricating the joint space, these hyaluronic acid injections for the knee may help relieve the pain that is associated with crepitus, or bone-on-bone grinding, which is a common symptom of osteoarthritis. While it will not have an immediate analgesic effect, a series of viscosupplementation treatments over time have helped many of the patients at our clinic to regain mobility and improve their quality of life without the need for orthopaedic surgery.
To learn more about viscosupplementation and its use as an osteoarthritis treatment, or to inquire about our wide range of treatments for sports injuries and musculoskeletal conditions, contact Tampa Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Group today. We accept most insurance plans, including Medicare, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, auto insurance, and workers’ comp.