Durolane (hyaluronic acid) injection

What is hyaluronic acid?

Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance found within the human body and a major component of normal synovial fluid. It stores moisture, acting as a lubricant between body tissues to prevent the build-up of friction.

In a healthy joint, your synovial fluid acts as a shock absorber, providing lubrication and allowing your bones to glide smoothly against each other without rubbing together.

If you have osteoarthritis, the hyaluronic acid in the synovial fluid breaks down, losing some of its elastic properties. The synovial fluid can no longer cushion the joints, and this can cause the pain and stiffness usually associated with osteoarthritis.

FAQs

What is Durolane? +

Durolane is a single injection [1] hyaluronic acid therapy for mild to moderate osteoarthritis. It’s injected directly into the space in your hip or knee joint which contains synovial fluid, restoring the natural ‘viscoelastic’ properties of the hyaluronic acid in the synovial fluid and providing long-lasting pain relief.

Read the Durolane leaflet.

Is Durolane a steroid? +

Hyaluronic acid is not the same as a steroid. While steroids can relieve the pain caused by osteoarthritis, they have been shown not to last as long as the pain relief from a Durolane injection [3].

What are the benefits of Durolane injections for the hip and knee joints? +

Durolane offers longer-term relief from joint pain and inflammation than corticosteroid injections [2,3]. It can also reduce reliance on painkillers and may delay the need for joint surgery [4].

Durolane is administered as a single injection [1], which means you won’t have to return for a ‘top-up’, and you can get back to your daily activities quickly after treatment [2,5].

Am I suitable for Durolane injections? +

If you have mild to moderate osteoarthritis and painkillers or physiotherapy haven’t improved your joint pain, your Consultant may recommend Durolane injections. If you have diagnosed synovitis, your Consultant may recommend an Arthrosamid® injection.

Please note that Durolane isn’t suitable if you have an infection or skin disease at the injection site.

What happens during a Durolane injection? +

You’ll be asked to lay on your back with your knee straight or sitting upright with your knee bent and your leg relaxed. Your Consultant will apply a local anaesthetic to numb the area.

If you have a lot of fluid in the joint, your Consultant will remove this first with a syringe and needle. With a new, sterile syringe, they’ll inject the Durolane directly into one side of the synovial space around the joint.

Once your Consultant has administered the hyaluronic injection, they’ll clean and bandage the area. If the injection has been into the knee, they will ask you to bend and straighten your leg to help spread the fluid throughout the joint.

What happens after a Durolane injection? +

We’d advise you to rest for 24 hours and avoid any high impact activity.

How long does a Durolane injection last? +

A single injection of Durolane can improve the symptoms of osteoarthritis for up to six months [3].

How many Durolane injections can you have? +

Durolane is safe for repeated injections [4].

How much does a Durolane injection cost? +

For Durolane injection costs, please see the Orthopaedic section of our pricing page.

Are there any side effects from hyaluronic acid injections? +

You may experience pain and swelling for the first 48 hours after your hyaluronic acid injection, but this should settle quickly. Durolane has been shown to have few side effects [1,5] but, if you do experience an allergic reaction, please seek medical advice immediately.

References

1. Zhang H, Zhang K, Zhang X, et al. Comparison of two hyaluronic acid formulations for safety and efficacy (CHASE) study in knee osteoarthritis: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, 26-week non-inferiority trial comparing Durolane to Artz. Arthritis Res Ther. 2015;17(1):51. doi:10.1186/s13075-015-0557-x

2. Krocker D, Matziolis G, Tuischer J, et al. Reduction of arthrosis associated knee pain through a single intra-articular injection of synthetic hyaluronic acid. Z Rheumatol. 2006;65(4):327-31. doi:10.1007/s00393-006- 0063-2

3. Leighton R, Åkermark C, Therrien R, et al. NASHA hyaluronic acid vs. methylprednisolone for knee osteoarthritis: a prospective, multicentre, randomized, non-inferiority trial. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2014;22(1):17- 25. doi:10.1016/j. joca.2013.10.009

4. Romero Jurado M, Enrique Fidalgo A, Rodríguez Villar V, Mar Medina J, Soler López B. Factors related with the time to surgery in waiting-list patients for knee prostheses. Reumatol Clin. 2013;9(3):148–55

5. DUROLANE [package insert]. Durham, NC: Bioventus LLC; 2019.

What is hyaluronic acid?

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References