What is Osteoarthritis of the Knee?
Knee osteoarthritis occurs when the protective cartilage in the knee joint deteriorates, leading to bone-on-bone contact and resulting in discomfort, stiffness, and occasional swelling. Although a permanent cure for knee osteoarthritis does not currently exist, Genicular Artery Embolization offers a viable solution by effectively slowing its progression and alleviating associated symptoms
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of osteoarthritis can often develop over time. Signs and symptoms or osteoarthritis can include:
Grating Sensation
You might feel as if your joint is grinding against bone, or hear popping and cracking.
Swelling
This can be caused by soft tissue inflammation around the joint.
Loss of Flexibility
You might not be able to move through your whole range of motion.
Pain
Affected joints might hurt during or after movement or exercise.
Stop Waiting
Schedule a consultation with our amazing physicians today.
How is the
GAE done?
Genicular Artery Embolization is an outpatient procedure performed under moderate sedation. It typically lasts one to two hours. Using X-ray guidance, our physicians insert a small catheter into the artery of the upper thigh, directing it to the knee lining’s blood supply arteries. Through the catheter, tiny particles are injected, reducing blood supply and subsequently diminishing inflammation and pain related to osteoarthritis.
What is the Advantage of Genicular Artery Embolization?
Although GAE is a relatively new technique, the benefits show to be great! Along with being minimally invasive, the procedure lasts under an hour and has extremely low risk of complications. Pain reduction lasts a very long time, with over a 50% reduction in pain at year 3. Genicular Artery Embolization can also greatly prolong the time needed before a total knee replacement is even necessary.
Pain reduction exceeding 50% at the three-year mark
Minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure
Completion within one hour
Extremely low risk of complications (almost zero occurrence)
Does not hinder the possibility of future supplementary treatments
Substantially prolongs the time before knee replacement becomes necessary
Am I a Candidate for GAE?
You could be! The following conditions make a good candidate for GAE:
- Age: 40-80 years
- Moderate to severe knee pain
- Osteoarthritis based on x-ray, but without bony deformity/sclerosis
- Local knee tenderness
- Resistant/failed conservative treatment (NSAIDS/PT/joint injection)
It's time to stop waiting for pain relief, contact the professionals at MTVIR and schedule your FREE CONSULT to see if Genicular Artery Embolization is right for you.
Call MTV IR, the experts in interventional radiology, at 469-458-9800 to schedule your free consultation or simply shoot us a message and we’ll get back in touch with you as quickly as possible.
