Arthosamid Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis

Bando

Has anyone tried and can share there experience of Arthrosamid injections?

{ link removed by Moderator}

Ellen

Hello @Bando Welcome to the online community.

I apologise for editing your first post and removing your link. Unfortunately posting links is in breach of our terms and conditions.

We do however have one or two threads with regards to Arthrosamid which might answer your question:

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/61315/arthrosamid

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/58110/arthrosamid

Again I am sorry I needed to edit your very first post, it really doesn't feel welcoming at all.

I hope those two threads are useful to you and you will continue to post.

Best wishes

Ellen.

Markt59

Hi,

I'm Mark and have just signed up. I have arthritis in both knees level 3-4 and have tried Hyaluronic acid injections for the past 2 years or so. I am scheduled to have Arthrosamid injections in both knees on January 16th so i will report back on the results.

Wish everyone the best for 2024.

noddingtonpete

Hello @Markt59 and welcome to the Community.

I hope that the treatment goes well for you and please do let us know how it goes. If there is anything else you need just ask.

Best wishes for 2024 and beyond

Peter

Pithy_username

Hi - I had bilateral Athrosamid injections for severe knee OA on Friday Jan 5th and thought it might be helpful to share a bit about my experience. My arthritis is so debilitating that I have to use walking sticks when I’m out of the house, can’t walk continuously for more than about 10 min and can’t stand without pain for more than 3-5 mins. If this doesn’t work then my next step is TKR.

I saw Prof Paul Lee in London for the procedure, which took about 15 mins for each knee. The protocol is thorough - first some IV antibiotics as a prophylactic against infection. Then on each side he gave 2 shots of local anaesthesia, one shallow and one deep. Using ultrasound he then drained out excess synovial fluid from the joint then injected some steroid to reduce potential inflammation, followed by 6ml of Arthrosamid gel per knee. He topped it off with a further half dose of steroid and that was it. The anaesthetic was the most painful stage, but once I was numb my knees felt a bit tight but way more comfortable than normal. I was able to walk easily out of the surgery and down steps without any problems, and my knees felt amazing for the next 6 hours or so - totally numb!

Once the local wore off I got a few pins and needles, but nothing significant. Unfortunately I didn’t sleep much last night, which was probably insomnia from the steroid. Steroid shots tend to affect me this way. I expected to be in some pain this morning, but my knees feel great and their usual swelling is visibly reduced. I suspect this early response is down to the fluid drainage and the steroid, as Prof Lee said the Arthrosamid will take about 2 weeks to start to bind to the joint lining. He expects the benefits to start from 2-3 weeks and then to improve over the next 3 months or so. At the 3 month mark, people typically have the best effect they’re going to get. He told me the success rate is around 70% of people experience significant pain reduction for 1-3 years. For the remaining 30% it doesn’t work at all.

I’ll do another update in a couple of weeks and let people know how things are progressing. Fingers crossed!

Pithy_username

Arthrosamid update: It’s just over two weeks since I had my bilateral Athrosamid injections and wanted to give a quick update for those interested. The first 4 days post-treatment were amazing. All symptoms pretty much vanished and I was able to walk without a stick and move freely. Unfortunately this early improvement wore off by day 6 and major swelling set in, particularly in my right knee which is the worse affected of the two. Prof Lee assured me that this was normal. I have stage 4 OA in my right knee and only stage 2 in the left. Apparently it’s not uncommon to get a surge in inflammation and synovitis in response to the Arthrosamid starting to bind to the joint. He advised twice daily Naproxen, ice, rest elevation etc and said it should improve in 2-3 weeks. The most severe swelling started to resolve after another 48 hrs and by day 9 I was moving a bit more easily. I felt able to drive safely by day 12 and started my knee rehab exercises and gym workouts again. It’s now 17 days since the treatment and my knees are starting to feel better than they did before the treatment. Visible swelling is gone and I notice I am moving more easily than I have done for a while, particularly on more difficult activities like going down stairs. I’m still taking Naproxen but will stop that at the end of this week. I am cautiously optimistic that this will be a success for me. Prof Lee expects my symptoms to continue to improve over the course of the next couple of months.

grubber

@Pithy_username,

 Thank you very much for kindly posting up details of your Arthrosamid injections, I hope that they bring significant improvement to your knee joints. Please keep the info coming.

 @Markt59,

 I hope all went well for your Arthrosamid injections and that you are recovering quickly.

 I am still looking into Arthrosamid as a possible treatment, so all info is gratefully received.

 Kindest regards

grubber

mge

@Pithy_username how are you getting on following your Arthrosamid procedure. Has it continued to settle? Would you say it is working for you?

noddingtonpete

Hello @mge and welcome to the Community. It is good to have you here. If you have any more questions please ask and we will try and help.

Best wishes

Peter

Pithy_username

Arthrosamid 4 week update: it’s been just over 4 weeks since the procedure and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Overall, I believe the inflammation and pain within my knee joints is improving. I am definitely more stable and confident going up and down stairs, am better able to stand still with less pain and am generally more mobile. I’m driving and am back at the gym, working on knee rehab and strength training. I have been confident enough to leave my walking stick behind for a few short excursions recently too. However, the Arthrosamid only acts on the joint. If you also have chronic muscle and/or ligament sprains as a result of compensating for years of joint deterioration, it has no direct effect on that. So the overall effect of the treatment for me has been to change the pain pattern, reduce it somewhat but to make me more aware of the other cr*p going on in my legs. This hadn’t really occurred to me before I started. My PT and physio tell me that the improvement in the joint will make it easier for me to rehab the other injuries with time, which I get. But the overall outcome so far has not been the completely pain-free recovery I secretly hoped for. So I’d advise anyone considering this treatment to bear this in mind and consider any other issues you may have with your knees. I probably would have still gone ahead had I clocked this beforehand, but with more realistic expectations. Having said all that, the consultant has emphasised that I should continue to improve over the next couple of months, so I’ll try and remember to report again in early April.

mge

Hi @Pithy_username

i know you said you’d report back in a month but 4 weeks from your last post I was wondering how it’s going. I’m about to book in for the procedure next week and am desperate for any info I can get.

Thank you.

mge

I had arthrosamid bilaterally on 6 March with Mr Attar at the Princess Alexandra hospital, Cheadle. I have grade 4 osteoarthritis in both knees with a recent deterioration in the left making it hard to do anything. In particular I get very stiff, struggling to get up from sitting etc. I’m in pain most of the time. I’m a 57 yo woman with a family history of arthritis and knee replacements but with a daughter doing a A levels and heading to uni now is not the right time for me.

Like the procedure dictates I had antibiotics and local anaesthetic and then the ultrasound guided arthrosamid. I did not have steroids like @Pithy_username. After the injections my knee felt really ‘full’ and stiff. I was uncomfortable and could not have driven myself home. I felt emotional after. It feels like this could be a miracle, if it works.

The next day I think my knees felt a little better but that might have been the anaesthetic. 3 days on there isn’t a significant difference yet. I am desperate for this to work, as is everyone who makes this investment so I will I update as soon as I feel anything happening. There is little feedback that isn’t ‘official’ so as much as I can add here, I will.

interestingly Mr Attar said arthrosamid is being trialled currently on hips, shoulders and ankles.

Pithy_username

Hi @mge I really hope it works out for you! I’m now 9 weeks post injections and can definitely feel a difference, but it’s taken longer than I expected. I was quite despondent initially, as it really did take a while to kick in. But I’d say I have a 50% improvement in function and reduction in pain at this point and, according to the consultant, could still see some more gains. I’m able to stand in the kitchen for a good hour or more preparing food, which I haven’t been able to do for ages. I’ve recently felt sufficiently confident and stable to go out for a walk alone without a stick, and people who know me have spontaneously said they think I’m standing straighter. My knees and legs still ache, but that seems to be due to muscle and ligament damage rather than coming from the joins themselves. My knees are visibly less swollen. The really encouraging thing for me is that the injections seem to have reduced the inflammation enough for me to be able to do more effective rehab, so I’m hopeful that this will all improve too over time. Good luck with your journey.

grubber

@mge and @Pithy_username, thank you both very much for kindly posting up details of your experiences post-Arthrosamid injections, they are very informative.

Please keep posting how you are getting on, and I join with everyone else here in wishing you both all the very best for your respective recoveries.

Kindest regards

grubber

mge

Thank you @grubber for the good wishes. Thank you too @Pithy_username for the reassuring post. It’s good to know that you are starting to feel real results. It’s certainly a waiting game after the injections and I’m so pleased it’s working for you.

I will continue to update as I feel some results. I’m thinking I am a little less stiff. Fingers crossed.

mge

it is coming up to 4 weeks since my injections. I have some slight improvement, especially in my right knee which has always been my worst. My left which is recently arthritic and worse after an injury is I think still suffering from ligament damage from that injury. I am still stiff and in some pain but I am not feeling the debilitating stiffness when I walk even a short distance. I walked about half a mile on Saturday which is the furthest for a good while. Summary there is progress albeit slow. I’m impatient but not disheartened.

jones8888

My experience is very similar to those shared here. I’m four weeks and two days post Arthrosamid injection in my right knee and it’s definitely cushioning the joint and giving me stability back (grade 4 OA bone on bone plus some holes in the meniscus, mild-to-moderate OA in the medial and lateral compartments). My OA was manageable until Feb when I suddenly had a major deterioration which resulted in my knee locking and a sickening feeling of bones moving, could barely stand up and didn’t leave the house for six weeks. I’m only 56 with a busy career and love of travel so I booked a TKR. Then decided to try Arthrosamid first. It helped immediately, though, as another poster said here, it only helps the patellofemoral joint, and the rest of my knee still feels tender, sometimes painful and a bit unstable. I have tenderness on the right side where the injection went in, still, plus an area of swelling. I can walk around the house (5,000 steps a day this last week) but not function in the world again: I couldn’t go for a walk, get on a train or go out for the evening. I know it can take 12 weeks so I’m impatient but hopeful. But I’m not ruling out a new TKR date this summer.

Ellen

Hi @jones8888 welcome to the online community.

Thanks for posting your experience with arthrosamid it will really help people considering spending their money on the injections.

I see you have had some improvement, but are thinking you might still possibly need to have your knees replaced this year.

I wish you best of luck with everything and hope you'll feed back again.

Thank you

Ellen.

mge

Hi @jones8888 thanks for sharing your experience so far. Did you have a steroid with your arthrosamid? I did not but see that others did. It’s interesting to see the different approaches.

I am now 6 weeks in. My right knee is repairing more quickly than my left. I still have pain standing from sitting, coming down the stairs, walking. But I’m not in constant pain and not being kept awake by pain.

I’m hoping in the next couple of weeks that I can get out and about more for walks etc.

I really hope that you continue to improve. Keep us updated

jones8888

Thank you @mge. I’m actually not having a good knee day today (are any days good knee days now?!) and am sofa-bound again. After walking around the house this morning, a few rehab exercises, nothing strenuous, my knee ‘locked’ again and had that awful feeling of needing a good readjustment of the bones in order to function. Haven’t had that since the jab four weeks ago. It had been very bad for this in the weeks leading up to my appointment: I think because my meniscus has started to fray. So anyway, that felt like a big step backwards (no pun intended 🙄) today. Can’t walk without pain and the knee feels sore and unstable. As I said yesterday, it’s hard to explain but what hurts now is the sections of the knee AROUND the inner kneecap joint itself: the joint line hurts, the top of my calf, back of the knee, outer side of the knee. So I guess the jab IS cushioning the patellofemoral compartment behind my kneecap but maybe not helping the rest of the knee. Which isn’t helpful in getting me back to functioning normally! Maybe that will change or maybe this is as good as it gets… Finding all this very challenging to my mental health. I am now effectively disabled when usually my life is busy and varied. Feeling very beaten down and I may still have to get through surgery this year…

jones8888

Oh and no steroid, no, just a bit of local anaesthetic which wore off after a few hours.

mge

I’m sorry @jones8888 that you’re feeling down. You’re about 2 weeks behind me and I do feel the literature is misleading when it says 4 weeks is the point when you start to feel it. At 6 weeks my right knee is starting to feel easier. My left is still clicking, stiff and painful but maybe not as painful.

I feel the progress is slow and very gradual. @Pithy_username above was also feeling very little improvement at 4 weeks but by 8-9 weeks some progress. Hope you (and I) get that same progress in that timeframe.

Pithy_username

Hi @jones8888! As @mge says, I found progress after my treatment to be much slower than advertised, but it does eventually happen. I started to feel a truly consistent improvement around the 12 week mark, so don’t give up hope. I’m now 15 weeks post treatment and I’d say that it has turned the clock back around 3 years on my knee degeneration and pain. So my knees are much better, but certainly not cured. I’m more mobile and better able to exercise, walk and stand for longer, but still have a low level of chronic pain most of the time, with occasional flares of inflammation. But the flares are shorter and less severe than they used to be - now more like 24-48 hrs rather than 2-3 weeks. And I can cope with the aching, which is barely noticeable most of the time. My main goal in all this was to postpone the need for TKR, reduce my pain to a manageable level and regain some mobility, and I’m happy that I’ve achieved all that. So please don’t be discouraged - it may all just take a bit longer than you expected.

jones8888

Thank you @mge and @Pithy_username - I really appreciate that feedback and of course your support. It’s good to read the experience of others and have some reassurance that this may well continue to improve (and I agree that the ‘four week significant improvement’ marketing is misleading!). My knee worsened yesterday, locking in position, couldn’t straighten it or stand up. Intense pain. Slightly easier today but I am spending my 11th Saturday in a row confined to the house because of OA deterioration. And that’s tough, especially now that Spring weather is here. Though Arthrosamid may still lessen my pain and improve stiffness etc, I’m doubtful now that it will get my full life back; sport, travel, active days with no worry that my knee could give out or lock out of the blue. I’m going to see my consultant on Tuesday to discuss TKR and maybe get a date in the diary for summer so I have choices (which is a luxury, I know). TKR is frightening and I’m sure a horrible experience to go through but I’ve had zero quality of life this whole year. I’ll keep posting about the Arthrosamid progress and would be so interested and grateful if you can do the same. Thank you again.

jones8888

One more thing on Athrosamid: my experience of OA seems to be less about pain and more about the structure of my knee. I’ve only had OA problems for 13 months and up until January my main issue was stiffness and an odd feeling that my knee no longer felt like my knee, if that makes any sense?! I haven’t had pain on resting etc, just discomfort on walking. Some days I was pain-free. Then at the end of January it deteriorated dramatically overnight and basically stopped functioning. The bones would move (a sickening sensation, especially as I’ve broken that knee once and dislocated it twice - the reasons I’m in this mess 🙄), ‘catch’ and lock and walking became almost impossible. My meniscus is fraying too, causing further problems (the ortho likened it to ‘old lino curling up’. Thanks for that mental image!). My mobility went and hasn’t come back; I can’t walk around a supermarket, drive, or go out alone. So I wonder whether Arthrosamid will be able to help fully with this because I think maybe my knee is just too far gone now. I’ve seen people talk about this ‘structural’ problem on other OA forums and it does seem to be a thing; that the knee can just stop functioning as a hinge! Anyway, wondering if anyone else has the same specific issue or if your OA is more of the ‘pain after exercise/low level constant pain’ varieties.

mge

I think what you’re describing @jones8888 is the issue I have with my left knee. My right was always my worst but after an injury to my left a year ago it has degenerated. Although I have grade 4 OA in both knees my left has other issues - scar tissue and ligament damage. I think that’s probably why I’m feeling progress in my right but less in my left. I do think I’m having some progress in my left but slower.