About this service
What you need to know.
Clear information first, with time to discuss your individual needs during your appointment.
Ostenil ® Plus is a treatment for the symptoms of joint osteoarthritis. It can be used to help arthritis symptoms in any synovial joint in the body, for example the knee or shoulder.
Joints contain synovial fluid which provides lubrication and within this fluid is a substance called hyaluronic acid. In osteoarthritis, it is though that a reduced production of hyaluronic acid contributes to the wearing down of the cartilage in the joint.
Ostenil ® Plus is a solution containing hyaluronic acid. It is injected into the joint and works by restoring the normal balance of hyaluronic acid.
The hyaluronic acid in Ostenil ® Plus is very pure and contains no animal proteins, which means it is very unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. The addition of Mannitol (a simple sugar derivative) to Ostenil ® Plus allows the Hyaluronic Acid to work for longer. Ostenil ® Plus has been extensively tested, and has not been found to cause any serious side effects.
Steroid injections and Ostenil ® Plus can be used together, but the differences between them are that Ostenil ® Plus provides shock absorption / helps repair cartilage and can be longer lasting although it is slower acting (it takes 2-5 weeks to work) and more expensive. By comparison steroid injections work by reducing pain & inflammation, are quicker acting and can be used for tendonitis / bursitis as well as synovial joints. Both are safe and both can be repeated when effects wear off.
Although occasionally an injection can resolve pain completely, much more often it just provides temporary or partial relief, although it can usually be repeated in future if required. The success depends on how severe the underlying condition is - the more advanced it is, the less likely the injection is to work, and it may not even help at all. In this case, a scan or specialist review is usually recommended. Let us know and we will help guide you on this.
Ultrasound Guided Injections are available. Live ultrasound guidance can be added to your injection appointment to help identify the target area and guide the needle in real time. This allows more precise placement of the medication.
Please note we cannot provide spine injections which require hospital imaging guidance such as those for spinal osteoarthritis, facet joint, disc bulges or other spinal injections.
