New knee arthritis treatment delivers lasting pain relief without surgery
A promising new treatment for knee arthritis uses tiny, dissolvable particles to block abnormal blood vessels, easing inflammation and pain without joint replacement surgery. In a study of 194 patients, 80% experienced clinically meaningful pain relief lasting at least 12 months.
Key points
- A study of 194 patients found that genicular artery embolization using rapidly dissolving gelatin microspheres reduced median knee pain scores from 7 to 3 over 12 months.
- No moderate or severe adverse events occurred across 239 procedures, with mild temporary complications in 6.7% of cases.
- The single-center study lacked a sham comparison group, so researchers could not determine how much improvement came directly from the procedure.
A minimally invasive procedure that blocks abnormal blood vessels in the knee may offer lasting pain relief for people with osteoarthritis, according to a study published in the journal Radiology. The technique, called genicular artery embolization, or GAE, could serve as an alternative for patients who cannot or do not want knee replacement surgery.
Researchers studied 194 patients with osteoarthritis-related knee pain, including 114 women and 80 men with a median age of 69. All had continued to have symptoms after at least three months of conventional care such as physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications and injections. The procedures took place between July and November 2024, with 239 GAE procedures carried out in total.
How the procedure works
GAE targets the abnormal blood vessels that develop around an inflamed joint rather than focusing on damaged cartilage. A thin catheter is guided into specific small arteries, where tiny gelatin-based microspheres are injected to block selected vessels while preserving normal knee circulation. The particles are designed to dissolve within hours.
The approach is known as superselective embolization because doctors treat specific small arteries instead of blocking circulation throughout the joint. It requires no open surgical incision or knee replacement.
In our cohort, we saw a significant drop in pain and a significant increase in function, including sports and recreation and daily activity.
— Florian Nima Fleckenstein, M.D.
Pain and mobility results
Median pain scores on a 0-to-10 scale fell from 7 before treatment to 4 after six weeks, then to 3 at six months, remaining there at 12 months. At the one-year follow-up, 80% of patients assessed exceeded the threshold for clinically meaningful pain relief.
Scores for daily activities rose from 53 to 71.5, sports and recreation from 15 to 36, and quality of life from 19 to 40. No moderate or severe adverse events were recorded, and mild temporary complications occurred in 6.7% of procedures.
The study did not include a sham comparison group, so it could not establish how much improvement resulted directly from the procedure. Researchers also did not evaluate whether GAE slows cartilage loss or prevents eventual joint replacement.
