Hyaluronic acid is the functioning of the organism. It is a substance naturally present in the human body’s tissues, mainly in the skin, joints, and cartilage.
Infiltrations with hyaluronic acid are injections administered inside the joints that suffer from a cartilage injury or osteoarthritis.
The quantity and quality of this substance are reduced, so infiltrations with hyaluronic acid are used to compensate for the losses.
In this sense, the infiltrations allow restoring the properties of the affected area, allowing the relief of pain and the improvement of joint mobility.
Why is it done?
Infiltrations with hyaluronic acid improve the properties of the cartilage and prevent the deterioration of the cartilage.
In osteoarthritis and chondromalacia, or cartilage damage, the amount of hyaluronic acid is somewhat reduced so that in these cases, hyaluronic acid infiltrations are more frequent.
- Moderate knee osteoarthritis
- Moderate hip osteoarthritis
- Sequelae of meniscus tears
- chondromalacia patella
- knee cartilage injuries
- ankle cartilage injuries
- Knee pain from overuse
- Ankle pain from overuse
What does it consist of?
Infiltration with hyaluronic acid is administered through an intra- articular injection, that is, inside the joint.
In any case, the infiltration must be administered by a specialist doctor, who can be a traumatologist, rehabilitation doctor, or interventional radiologist.
Complications may appear if a specialist doctor does not perform it, such as inflammatory reactions.
In cases where the infiltration is administered in joints such as the ankle or the knee, the infiltration is performed in the office, adopting a series of sterility measures.
On the contrary, when the infiltration is administered in the hip, it is performed in a room prepared with ultrasound control.
Hyaluronic acid injections generally do not require anesthesia, but in some cases, it is necessary to inject a local anesthetic into the joint.
Preparation for infiltration with hyaluronic acid
Before undergoing an infiltration with hyaluronic acid, the patient needs to consider a series of previous steps. In the first place, it is essential to go to the specialist’s office so that they can rule out complications in the following cases:
- If the patient is allergic to substances such as hyaluronic acid
- If there is an infection in the area to be infiltrated
- If the osteoarthritis is chronic
- If you suffer from fracture instead of wear
- If you are prone to bleeding
- If you take blood thinners
It is essential that during the days before and during the day of the infiltration, you do not drink alcohol. However, it is also not recommended to take aspirin during the three days before infiltration to avoid the appearance of bruises.
Care after the intervention
After hyaluronic acid infiltration, the patient can return to everyday life, so it is advisable to take anti-inflammatories and aspirin to relieve inflammation or pain.
