Steroid Injections Versus Hyaluronic Acid in Knee Osteoarthritis

Introduction: Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disorder that affects more than 300 million individuals. Individuals with osteoarthritis have limitations in function and quality of life due to knee pain, swelling, difficulty walking, tightness, and neurologic symptoms. There have been increasing efforts to treat the condition, including corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid, PRP, and other injectables. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis Methods: A search via PubMed database was completed using the keywords “knee osteoarthritis” AND “hyaluronic acid” AND “intra-articular” with an additional search completed using “knee osteoarthritis” AND “hyaluronic acid” AND “steroids.” These searches contained 125 studies. Out of those, 26 were reviewed, and 4 meta-analysis and 1 randomized control trial (RCT) were examined. These articles examined various injectables used for treatment, including more than just the focus of this review. Results: Studies reviewed used a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) and predetermined significant P-values of P Discussion: Results of the data favored the use of hyaluronic acid over corticosteroids in the treatment of osteoarthritis, although other injectables were superior to hyaluronic acid. Further research is required to determine the most effective injectable medication option for patients.