Comparing Mannitol and Hypertonic Dextrose Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis Pain and Function: A Randomised Trial

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Regenerative Medicine
• Pain Management

Background:

• Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a degenerative joint disease causing pain and reduced mobility.
• Prolotherapy, using agents like hypertonic dextrose, is an injection therapy for KOA.
• Mannitol is another agent explored for prolotherapy in KOA management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of intra-articular mannitol injections versus hypertonic dextrose prolotherapy.
• To assess pain relief and functional improvement in KOA patients treated with mannitol or dextrose.

Main Methods:

• 48 KOA patients were randomized into two groups: hypertonic dextrose (24) and mannitol (26).
• Three intra-articular injections were administered bi-weekly.
• Outcomes measured included Visual Analogue Pain Scale (VAS), Oxford Knee Scale (OKS), and WOMAC scores.

Main Results:

• No significant demographic differences between groups.
• Both treatments led to significant improvements in VAS, OKS, and WOMAC scores over 8 weeks.
• No serious adverse events were reported in either group.

Conclusions:

• Prolotherapy with both mannitol and hypertonic dextrose is effective and safe for KOA.
• No statistically significant difference in efficacy was observed between mannitol and hypertonic dextrose up to 8 weeks post-injection.