Viscosupplementation is also called joint lubricant therapy. It is used for patients with arthritis that have tried previous corticosteroid injections.
There are several brands of injection including: Supartz, Orthovisc, Synvisc, Hyalgan, and Euflexxa. These are given in 3 injections 1 week apart.
Supartz is a solution of highly purified sodium hyaluronate. This is a natural lubricant found in synovial fluid in all joints. Arthritis negatively affects the synovial fluid and decreases the ability to lubricate and protect the articular cartilage of the joint. Supartz injections' benefits are to restore the cushioning and lubricating properties of the normal joint fluid called synovial fluid.
It was FDA approved in 2001 for use in the knee.
Short-term side effects can be possible infection, local bleeding, soreness, or post-injection reaction. Patients not indicated for these injections are those with: allergies to chicken or eggs, skin diseases or infections around knee, or any previous allergic reaction to lubricant injections in the past.
You will receive an E.O.B. (Explanation of Benefits) in the mail from your insurance company after our office submits a bill from today’s visit. Insurance companies view surgical care as being three different entitities: 1) operative treatment in the hospital, 2) injection during an office visit, and 3) fracture care during an office visit. Therefore, for any of these treatments you may see surgery on your E.O.B. even though "surgery" was not performed.
