Knee Osteoarthritis

What is Knee Osteoarthritis?

• Arthritis is a general term for joint inflammation. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It often comes with aging and most commonly affects the hands, knees, and hips.

Who is at risk?

• Increased age
• Increased weight
• Trauma to joint due to repetitive movements such as squatting or kneeling

What does the research say?

• Embolization for knee osteoarthritis (geniculate artery embolization) is successful in decreasing pain and improving function for patients with knee osteoarthritis

Genicular Artery Embolization Treatment

Genicular artery embolization (GAE) uses a small catheter passed through a vessel in the wrist or through a pin-hole sized hole in the groin. Using specialized imaging technology, the catheter is positioned in the genicular artery branches (vessels supplying blood flow to the knee joint) causing the pain and blocked off using small medical beads which leads to decreased inflammation of the joint. The entire treatment lasts about 1 hour and is an outpatient procedure.

Genicular artery embolization (GAE) has been demonstrated in multiple studies to decrease pain and improve function for the majority of treated patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Other Treatment Options

Surgical Treatments

Knee replacement

Medical Treatments

Pain killers and anti-inflammatory medications

Hot/cold packs

Knee joint steroid or stem cell injections

Assistive Devices

Canes, splints, walkers