Comparison of the Effects of Intra-articular Hyaluronic Acid and Tenoxicam on Pain and Knee Joint Functions in Knee Osteoarthritis

Aim: The objective of this study is comparing the effects of intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) and tenoxicam aplications on joint range of motion (ROM) and pain in patients with gonarthrosis. Patients and Method: This study was designed as prospective, non-randomized controlled, and single-blinded trial. 60 patients diagnosed with Grade II and Grade III osteoarthritis (OA) according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria were consecutively enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups whereby the first group received intra-articular HA three times a week and the other group received a single dose intra-articular tenoxicam. Pre-treatment and after-treatment VAS and ROM values of the groups were compared. Results: In the HA Group, 20 patients (66.6%) were female, 10 patients (33.3%) were male and the mean age of them was 59.6 years (range 45-75 years). In the Tenoxicam Group, 24 patients (80%) were female, 6 (20%) patients were male, and the average age of this group was 61.5 years (range 45-75 years). VAS scores knee flexion and extension ROM values on the 1st day, the 15th day, the 1st month,the2nd month, and the 3rd month after the treatment, significantly improved in both groups (p <0.05). When the change levels in the groups were compared, the changes in the Tenoxicam Group were more prominent in the early period, but there was no difference between the two groups in terms of the 3rd-month values after the treatment (p> 0.05). Conclusion: It was seen that intra-articular HA and tenoxicam administration seem to be effective and reliable methods in Grade 2-3 knee OA patients; but tenoxicam was more effective in reducing pain and relieving joint movements compared to HA injection in the early periods