Nanoscale Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems for Osteoarthritis: Strategies to Overcome the Skin Barrier

Abstract Osteoarthritis (OA) is a long-term degenerative common complaint characterized by increasingjoint dysfunction, synovial inflammation, and cartilage degradation. While traditionaltherapies, such as oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) and intra-articularinjections, provide short-term comfort, they consistently have poor long-term efficacy andsystemic side effects. Even though transdermal medication distribution has certain advantages,such as avoiding first-pass metabolism, delayed medication release, and lower casecompliance, the stratum corneum serves as a major hedge restricting effective medicineimmersion. Nanoscale delivery systems have demonstrated a commitment to overcome thislimitation. Nanocarriers such as liposomes, bilosomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, and polymericnanoparticles can improve drug solubility, stability, skin penetration, and targeted remedialefficacy. Physical addition techniques including electroporation, iontophoresis, andmicroneedles further improve transdermal drug delivery. Mongrel strategies that combinenanocarriers with penetration-enhancing techniques demonstrate a strong promise forimproving treatment outcomes. This study emphasizes the structure of the skin hedge,nanoscale medication delivery bias, and novel methods to improve transdermal drugadministration in the treatment of osteoarthritis.