Effect of intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate on knee function and inflammatory state in knee osteoarthritis patients

Purpose: To investigate the effect of intra-articular sodium hyaluronate injections in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients. Methods: 110 patients with KOA admitted to Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China from September 2019 and October 2021 were enrolled in this study. Each patient was assigned a number based on the time of admission, and the patients were randomly divided into control and study groups. Total effectiveness (efficacy), and visual analog scale (VAS) scores in both groups were evaluated. Also, the levels of inflammatory factors, viz, IL-6, TNF-α, and TLR4 were investigated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) Results: The total effectiveness in the study group was significantly higher compared to control group (p < 0.05), while the visual analog scale (VAS) scores of the study group were significantly lower than those of the control group one week and three months after treatment (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate relieves pain, restores knee function, and reduces joint inflammation. Future long-term studies utilizing a larger number of patients from multiple centers will be required to validate treatment effects, potential for relapse, and recurrence of symptoms.