You may have osteoarthritis if you experience one or more of the following common signs and symptoms:

  • Sore joint after overuse or inactivity
  • Joint stiffness after resting or in the morning
  • Pain when moving your joint
  • Pain when doing everyday activities such as climbing stairs, getting up from a chair, or buttoning a shirt
  • Joint pain that prevents you from exercising
  • Grating or catching sensation when moving your joint
  • Pain that feels worse in the evening after a day’s activity
  • Deterioration of coordination or grip strength due to joint pain and stiffness
  • Weakened muscular strength near the affected joint

To help with your diagnosis and treatment, be sure to mention these signs and symptoms at each doctor’s appointment.

No, there are different classes of injectable therapies that may be used to treat osteoarthritis. For example, steroid injections (such as cortisone) may help relieve knee pain and swelling temporarily. On the other hand, hyaluronic acid injections such as DUROLANE are designed to supplement the lost hyaluronic acid in the synovial fluid of a joint affected by osteoarthritis.

Treatment Options

Most patients report experiencing little pain or discomfort during the injection. Some doctors may apply a topical numbing agent to the skin prior to giving the DUROLANE injection, which may help to minimize any pain or discomfort.

No additional drug or surgery is involved in treatment with DUROLANE. Some physicians may use a topical numbing agent prior to injection. You can schedule DUROLANE treatments just as you would any other office visit.

The entire procedure is performed in the doctor’s office and takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes. DUROLANE is administered by a single injection into the affected joint. Your doctor may advise you to avoid strenuous physical activities for a few days after your injection.

DUROLANE treats osteoarthritis by temporarily replenishing the hyaluronic acid in the fluid in your joint space. Unlike oral painkillers or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that affect all parts of your body, DUROLANE specifically targets the osteoarthritis pain in your affected joint.

About DUROLANE

If you have osteoarthritis pain and the pain is not controlled by lifestyle changes or simple analgesics, you could be a candidate for DUROLANE treatment. To find out if DUROLANE might be right for you, please consult with your doctor.

A study of patients who had undergone knee replacement surgery published in 2015 found that prior treatment with hyaluronic acid injections postponed their need for knee replacement surgery. In this study, the more courses of hyaluronic acid treatment the patients had received, the longer the time was between their initial diagnosis of osteoarthritis and their knee replacement operation. Patients without hyaluronic acid treatment had their knee replacement surgery after an average of 9 months. Patients who received 5 or more courses of hyaluronic acid treatment delayed their knee replacement operation by an average of 3.6 years.9

A steroid injection is used to reduce inflammation and pain. It can start to relieve osteoarthritis pain faster than an injection of hyaluronic acid, but has been shown to not last as long. In a clinical study comparing a steroid injection with DUROLANE treatment for patients with knee osteoarthritis, both treatments provided a reduction in knee pain and stiffness, but the benefits of the DUROLANE injection lasted longer and could be repeated without showing a decline in effect. The study also showed that patients who initially received a steroid injection also responded well to follow-up treatment at 6 months with an injection of DUROLANE.2

It is possible that your physician will recommend the use of a steroid to reduce the inflammation in your joint and later recommend the use of DUROLANE.

In a study of patients with knee osteoarthritis, DUROLANE has been proven to provide pain relief and restoration of joint function for up to 6 months.2

Yes. DUROLANE is clinically proven to be safe, even following repeated injections.2 More information about clinical studies of DUROLANE safety can be found in the summary of Indications for Use.

Yes, if you have knee osteoarthritis in both knees, you can be treated in both knees. You will require two 3-mL syringes containing DUROLANE, one syringe per knee. DUROLANE is also indicated for use in other joints. Please visit our full DUROLANE summary of indications here.

There are no known contraindications associated with DUROLANE, which means there are no conditions or circumstances that suggest it should not be given. Unlike some other hyaluronic acid-based products, DUROLANE is not made from an animal source of hyaluronic acid, which makes the chance of developing an allergic reaction to DUROLANE very low. Treatment with DUROLANE may not be appropriate if your disease is too advanced. However, your doctor can provide advice on this.