Many knee osteoarthritis treatments are either short-term, have long recovery periods or have low effectiveness rates. GAE, or genicular artery embolisation, is changing the game for innovative knee osteoarthritis treatment, with long-term results, short recovery times and high effectiveness rates.
With this guide, you can learn more about how GAE is being used in knee osteoarthritis treatment through the use of embolic agents. This information can help you feel more confident about making a decision and finding out if GAE is right for you and managing your knee pain.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease in the knee that occurs when the cartilage and other tissues in the joint break down or change structure. This breakdown may be caused by ageing, excess weight, overuse from repetitive movements, joints that do not form correctly, previous injuries in the joint or a family history of osteoarthritis. As the cartilage and tissue breaks down, it can cause the three bones in the knee joint to grind against each other, causing inflammation, swelling, pain and mobility issues.
It’s estimated 13% of women and 10% of men over the age of 60 have knee osteoarthritis. This exceeds more than 40% for people over the age of 70. There’s roughly 240 cases of osteoarthritis diagnosed per 100,000 people per year.
Genicular artery embolisation (GAE) is a minimally invasive treatment that requires only a small incision in the groin region. A catheter is inserted into the femoral artery through the incision, guided through the arterial system to the genicular arteries around the knee. Embolic agents are then injected into the treatment area. There’s no surgery, no sutures (in most cases) and no need to spend the night in hospital.
The entire treatment takes 1 to 2 hours and can be done by an interventional radiologist. It targets the source of your knee pain caused by osteoarthritis without needing to undergo a partial or full knee replacement.
The aim of genicular artery embolisation is to reduce inflammation around the knee, caused by the grinding of the bones in your knee joint. By reducing inflammation, it helps ease pain and swelling, which also helps increase joint mobility. This can help increase your overall quality of life, making walking, bending, getting in and out of bed, tying shoes and more comfortable again.
How does GAE decrease inflammation? The embolic agents constrict the vessels around the knee, reducing blood to the affected area. Reducing the blood flow helps to relieve the pressure on the knee, resulting in enhanced physical function.
By choosing an innovative knee osteoarthritis treatment, like GAE, you’re helping to avoid surgery, maintaining the natural structure of your knee, preserving its natural knee function. This means you don’t have potential complications that can arise from artificial knee joints.
Replacement knee parts typically only last 10 to 15 years. Over time, the function of the part decreases and can fail, resulting in further surgeries down the track. With GAE, you may be able to have repeat treatments every 12 to 24 months, as needed, if required and suitable.
The recovery time following genicular artery embolisation is only 2 to 3 days, after which time you can return to work and ease back into your daily routine. Results can also start to take effect within 3 days, although some people may not start to experience reduced pain for up to two weeks. It can vary from person to person.
Quicker recovery times and results can help you fit your osteoarthritis knee pain treatment into your schedule without taking too much time off of work or away from other responsibilities. It also helps you regain your stability and mobility, with the added benefit of reduced pain.