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What is Osteoarthritis of the Knee?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis and the most common joint condition, worldwide. In the U.S. alone, more than 21 million people suffer from OA and more than 14 million of those are estimated to have OA in one or both knees.

In knees with OA, the cartilage protecting the ends of the bones gradually deteriorates, and the joint fluid—called synovial fluid—loses its shock-absorbing qualities. Bones may begin to rub against each other, causing pain, stiffness and loss of movement in the joint. By contrast, a healthy knee's cartilage and lubricating joint fluid protect and cushion the bones, making moving and bending easy.

The stages of osteoarthritis of the knee

Doctors use two different sets of terminology to talk about the severity of OA. Some may characterize OA as grade 1 to 4. Other doctors may describe OA as mild, moderate or severe.

• Mild (grade 1 OA)

  The surface of the cartilage in your knee joint begins to wear down. Symptoms are generally mild, and may include occasional pain and brief morning stiffness.

• Moderate (grades 2 or 3 OA)

  Joint cartilage continues to wear away and joint fluid may lose its ability to lubricate and cushion the knee. Bony growths, or spurs, may also form on the edges of the bones. Moving may become more painful.

• Severe (grade 4 OA)

  Cartilage may totally wear away, causing bones to rub against each other. Pain may be more constant or more severe; your ability to perform day-to-day activities can diminish.

• What is Osteoarthritis of the Knee?
• Osteoarthritis Symptoms
• Diagnosing Osteoarthritis

Synvisc-One^® (hylan G-F 20) is indicated for the treatment of pain in osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conservative non-pharmacologic therapy and simple analgesics, e.g., acetaminophen.

Important Safety Information

Before trying Synvisc-One, tell your doctor if you have had an allergic reaction to SYNVISC or any hyaluronan-based products; or if you have an infected knee joint, skin disease or infection around the area where the injection will be given, or circulatory problems in the legs. Synvisc-One is only for injection into the knee, performed by a doctor or other qualified health care professional. Synvisc-One has not been tested to show pain relief in joints other than the knee.
Tell your doctor if you are allergic to products from birds – such as feathers, eggs or poultry – or if your leg is swollen or infected. Synvisc-One has not been tested in children, pregnant women or women who are nursing. You should tell your doctor if you think you are pregnant or if you
are nursing a child. Talk to your doctor before resuming strenuous weight-bearing activities after treatment.

The side effects (also called reactions) sometimes seen after any injection into the knee, including Synvisc-One, include (<2% each): pain, swelling, heat, redness, and/or fluid build-up in or around the knee. These reactions were generally mild and did not last long, but in rare occasions these side effects were more severe. The most commonly occurring adverse events outside of the injected knee were headache, back pain, sore throat, the flu and faintness. Allergic reactions such as rash and hives have been reported rarely in association with SYNVISC.

View the Complete Prescribing Information for Synvisc-One

Sponsored by New Synvisc-One Hylan G-F 20