J Korean Orthop Assoc.  2023 Jun;58(3):245-256. 10.4055/jkoa.2023.58.3.245 .

Effectiveness of Intra-Articular Injections of Polynucleotides in Korean Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis in a Real Clinical Field

• Kim WH
• Sung BY
• Song YS
• Hong JS
• Ryu HK
• Kim KJ
• Park JH
• Kim JS
• Kim DH
• Son IN

• KMID: 2543272
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4055/jkoa.2023.58.3.245

Abstract

Purpose
This observational study was conducted to confirm the effectiveness and safety of intra-articular injection of polynucleotides in Korean patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) in a real clinical setting.
Materials and Methods
Five hundred and forty-six cases of patients who received three–five times of injections of polynucleotides within six months and then visited were enrolled from December 2020 to February 2022. The subjects were then followed up for six months. The pain reduction effect was evaluated using a 100 mm-weight bearing pain visual analogue scale (VAS) before administration, immediately after administration, and three and six months after the injection cycle. Then the results were analyzed as an entire group and sub-group. In addition, the tendency of Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and the Patient Global Impression (PGI) at each time point and adverse events were investigated.
Results
An analysis of the VAS in the entire group analysis revealed a more than 50% reduction of pain vs. pre-administration that was maintained for six months from the end of the Conjuran^® treatment. Approximately 40%–60% reductions of pain were observed in subgroup analysis according to age, Kellgren–Lawrence (KL)-grade, and pain at pre-administration. At all time points, these pain relief effects were significant (p<0.001) compared to pre-administration, regardless of any factors of sub-group analysis. Moreover, in CGI, 77.8% of patients reported that their symptoms improved after six months from the completion of treatment. In addition, in PGI, 75.6% of patients self-evaluated that the symptoms improved after six months from the completion of treatment. No serious adverse events were reported.
Conclusion
An intra-articular injection of polynucleotides to knee OA patients in the clinical field showed significant pain reduction effectiveness for six months after treatment, and no other serious case was reported. Therefore, this is considered a therapeutical option in an intra-articular injection that can be used safely in a real clinical setting. In particular, sub-analysis of the factors considered to affect the symptoms of knee OA, such as age, KL-grade, and pain level before administration, revealed significant pain improvement in all factors and aspects. Therefore, intra-articular injection of polynucleotides is expected to be an effective therapeutic option in knee OA.

Keyword

knee; osteoarthritis; injections intra-articular; polynucleotides; observational study