Geniculate Artery Embolization for Osteoarthritis: Pilot Study

Summary

The need for exploration of more definitive and cost effective non-arthroplasty treatments of osteoarthritis (OA) has been demonstrated by the orthopedic and health economic research. Embolotherapy of neovessels associated with OA joints has been shown to be promising in patients with knee OA. There is a need for level one evidence drawn from randomized clinical trials to prove the safety, feasibility and efficacy of knee embolotherapy compared to standard of care. This randomized pilot study will assign 10 patients with mild-moderate OA to undergo geniculate artery embolization plus standard of care (defined in this study as: physical therapy and oral anti-inflammatory medications, with a maximum of 1 joint injection at the time of enrollment) and 10 patients to receive only medical standard of care (also having had a maximum of 1 joint injection prior to enrollment). The goal of this pilot study is to obtain preliminary estimates of safety and efficacy of embolotherapy to provide sustained symptom control and modify disease progression in patients with mild to moderate knee OA.

Description

Eligibility

Age range

40–70 years

Sex

All

Healthy volunteers

No

Interventions

• Device
  Geniculate Artery Embolization

  All patients within the embolization group will undergo unilateral angiography and embolization of the appropriate treatment limb geniculate arteries. For patients with bilateral disease the more clinically symptomatic side will be chosen as the treatment/control knee.

Location