Knee injections

[Masquernom]

What's the experience with injections for knee joint pain? I've read about viscous fluid injections attempting to cushion the joint. I've also been told about steroid injections. What's everyone's experience? What works best?

I had a surgeon debride the cartilage in one of knees a few years ago and it's been bad since then. Now starting to get worse.

 

[Aerides]

I am a huge fan of cortizone injections. It's basically a steroid to reduce inflammation. In my experience, I had two in my knee to buy time to decide and schedule surgery. Each worked about 4 months before they started to wear off. It's a short term thing while you determine next steps. Takes all of 3 seconds to do. For some people they might not work at all, and even when they do it takes a couple of weeks to really set in.

In your shoes I'd get to a good Ortho, get a new MRI, and a shot to tide you over while you determine a more permanent solution. I have almost no cartilage left in one knee and my doc got a good look when he repaired my torn meniscus, so I'm on borrowed time there (pain free now!) and looking at a probably inner-knee replacement, if not TKR, within 5 years.

 

[marko]

Mom, age 91 gets some sort of knee injection every 3 months. She goes three times in three weeks and then is good for 90 days or so.

It is not cortisone; some sort of goo that expands in the knee joint. Rumor is that it comes from the comb of a rooster.

She swears by it; at this point in her life has no interest in knee replacement.

 

[MuirWannabe]

I’ve had gel injections in both knees. At the same time, I also had plasma injections in both knees. While the gel is supposed to last for anywhere from 6-18 months of help, the plasma is said to actually stimulate regrowth of knee cartilage.

This was done roughly 3 months ago. It has helped a great deal so far. Although my knees aren’t perfect and I will never be able to run again, I can walk, hike, backpack, etc. As to how long it will last and has cartilage actually regrown I’m not certain.

 

[SheitlQueen]

I had a steroid injection for pain due to arthritis. It worked wonderfully. Had it about 3 years ago and have had no need for another one. A friend just went through a series of three shots, some type of foam that expands and cushions the joint and pushes it apart. She said it was a little painful during the injection, but other than that it has also worked well for her.

 

[Chuckanut]

I've had the goo injections, but mine was one shot and done, not three shots over three weeks. I

Sometimes it seems to help. At other times I wonder why I got it done. Right now I can't justify the one shot stuff. I am thinking that the thee shot stuff might be better, but I don't know for sure.

The goo used to be made from rooster combs, but now it is made in a factory using some sort of genetic manipulation. Like sausage we don't want t know more about how it's made.

 

[harllee]

MY DH has used the "Goo" injections (Euflexxa) in his knees for years and they really helped him. He was able to put off knee replacement for many years. Finally his left knee got so bad (bone on bone) that he had knee replacement on that one but he is hoping to avoid knee replacement on the right knee and is continuing Euflexxa on that one. Knee replacement is major surgery and the recovery takes along time so I would recommend trying Euflexxa before considering replacement. In fact, DH's surgeon will not do knee replacement until you have given Euflexxa (or something similar) a try.

 

[Masquernom]

Thanks for the replies. I see my PCP this Friday. I'll ask for a referral to a doctor that does the injections. I'll see what my options are at that point. Sounds like there is a good chance the injections will help.

 

[Winemaker]

DW was told by her orthopedic doctor that she is a candidate for TKR. But before TKR surgery, her insurance company makes her get the "rooster" shots for 3 years, I believe. She gets them every 4 months or so.

 

[harllee]

Thanks for the replies. I see my PCP this Friday. I'll ask for a referral to a doctor that does the injections. I'll see what my options are at that point. Sounds like there is a good chance the injections will help.

Euflexxa (or similar) will probably help you if you have any space between the upper and lower knee. If your knee is totally bone on bone it may not help. Euflexxa is the 3 shot kind (one shot every 3 weeks, one per week). MY dh says the 3 shot kind worked much better for him than the one shot kind. DH says they numb his knee before the shot so it does not hurt. The shots are expensive so you will want to be sure your insurance pays. Medicare and supplement paid for DH.

 

[24601NoMore]

DW was told by her orthopedic doctor that she is a candidate for TKR. But before TKR surgery, her insurance company makes her get the "rooster" shots for 3 years, I believe. She gets them every 4 months or so.

3 YEARS before they'll approve surgery?

Insurance companies have always been evil personified, but the things they are putting people through nowadays is gonna get to a point where there are pitchforks and torches involved..

 

[24601NoMore]

Euflexxa (or similar) will probably help you if you have any space between the upper and lower knee. If your knee is totally bone on bone it may not help. Euflexxa is the 3 shot kind (one shot every 3 weeks, one per week). MY dh says the 3 shot kind worked much better for him than the one shot kind. DH says they numb his knee before the shot so it does not hurt. The shots are expensive so you will want to be sure your insurance pays. Medicare and supplement paid for DH.

Well, there's the rub, isn't it? Expensive, and on the "A"CA many of us have gazillion dollar deductibles that we'll never hit, unless we get run over by a train or have some horrible disease.

So rather than get the patient out of pain and back to a good quality of life..the insurance company requires you get expensive injections..apparently for quite a long time. Guess who pays for that in many cases of the "A"CA? Yep. The patient - NOT the insurance company.

I have this exact situation going on now. Rather than approve a (literally) $300 MRI, the oh-so-wonderful insurance company insists I do "6 weeks of physician approved alternative therapy" that best case would cost me thousands of dollars (eg: for PT). So, rather than pay ~$2,000 for PT to jump through their unreasonable hoops (which actually could have made the underlying problem worse, as they had no idea what the PT guy would be trying to treat since there was no diagnostic image), I had to go out of pocket and pay for the MRI myself. Usually, that $300 would go against my ten gazillion dollar deductible. But..nope! They wouldn't approve it, so even though I would have had to pay 100% of the expense ANYWAY pre-deductible, it doesn't even get me any closer to meeting the deductible that I'm unlikely to meet anyway.

Like I said..total evil, personified.

 

[mystang52]

The "rooster goo" injections did wonders for me. First set of 3 lasted about a year (I'm a runner). The 2nd set has lasted 2 - or is it 3? - years and still going strong. I continue to run several times a week.

 

[timo2]

The only way to tell is to try it. I had a mixed experience. Two bad knees that both responded to steroid injections fine, for a while. Once one knee quit responding, went to the goo for both knees. The knee that had the most damage, the goo worked slightly better than the steroid. In the less bad knee, the goo made the pain worse. Really worse. It must have revitalized the knee in the wrong places. Because of the cost difference, I went back to the steroids in both. Since then had a TKR in the worst knee, the other one is holding up.

 

[Winemaker]

3 YEARS before they'll approve surgery?

Insurance companies have always been evil personified, but the things they are putting people through nowadays is gonna get to a point where there are pitchforks and torches involved..

I think DW doesn't want the surgery and is putting it off as long as she can. Don't want a scar, you know!

 

[bclover]

Thanks for the replies. I see my PCP this Friday. I'll ask for a referral to a doctor that does the injections. I'll see what my options are at that point. Sounds like there is a good chance the injections will help.

If it is an arthritis problem it's sort of a long journey.

I have had both knees replaced but prior to that I had the cortisone shots and the 3X series.

most work really well, the problem is that generally the efficacy (sp) sort of decreases over time.

I had a 3 year journey where at first the shots were fabulous and pain relief was usually 8-9 months, they can only give you so many shots per year.

after a few years relief from the shot was only about 1 month.

 

[stedmakr]

I went through 3 or 4 shots on each knee. They wear off over time and I ended up with a bad limp. Eventually I had both knees replaced. I am now pain free and bike 20 miles every day and when we hike I can do so for miles.

One of the worst decisions of my life was to wait as long as I did and compromise my quality of life before getting a knee replacement.

 

[Aerides]

Thanks for the replies. I see my PCP this Friday. I'll ask for a referral to a doctor that does the injections. I'll see what my options are at that point. Sounds like there is a good chance the injections will help.

I would be asking for the best knee doc (orthopedist, etc.), period. Your best bet, either way, is to get a good diagnosis which should include an immediate xray, and a probably MRI, and then go from there. Your specific injury might not be suited for injections. But you need to find out what it is first.

 

[Montecfo]

I had a steroid shot in my knee a few years ago. I have arthritis there but also had an injury. The shot ended the pain and it has not recurred for years. My knees are actually pretty ok, but my ankles are bad, especially the left. I'm considering trying plasma injections there.

Best of luck to the OP. Worth a try!

 

[Chuckanut]

One of the worst decisions of my life was to wait as long as I did and compromise my quality of life before getting a knee replacement.

I wouldn't call it my worst decision in my life, but I wish I had got my knee replaced five years earlier. OTOH, had I done that and then reached 87 and the doc said "Time to replace that worn out replacement" I might not think it was such a great idea to get it done earlier. Hopefully, the replacement will last me the rest of my life.

 

[harllee]

DH started having knee pain around age 55. The Euflexxa shots enabled him to delay knee replacement until age 70. DH's surgeon said age 70 is a good age for knee replacement because you don't normally have to worry about the knee replacement wearing out and having to be replaced during your lifetime.